Posted September 04, 2019in Iowa Artist
Artist finds her voice, discovers her roots through painting. As a youth, Jill Wells accompanied her grandmother to painting sessions in a lady’s basement, painting “whatever,” varying from still life to outdoor scenery. Yet, when she attended Drake University for a fine arts degree, a professor helped her find her
Read More →Mirza Kudic’s “Welcome to Des Moines” photos show his dedication. When Mirza Kudic purchased a camera four years ago, he quickly became obsessed. He snapped photos, stayed up countless nights, learning and perfecting his craft. After poring over images to check for lighting angles and composition, he’d return to the
Read More →A life detour brings artist to Des Moines and Mainframe Studios. With five different college majors in 11 years, Amy O’Brien struggled deciding what to do with her life. She waited tables. She tried marketing. She attempted interior design. She once owned a restaurant. She even tried her hand as
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Posted June 05, 2019in Iowa Artist
Is it real, or is it a photograph? As John Neal begins painting his latest creation, he doesn’t set up a simple canvas perched on an easel with a palette containing quarter-sized paints. Instead, he carries a one-gallon bucket of color and paints with large brushstrokes while utilizing a construction
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Posted May 01, 2019in Iowa Artist
Linda Lewis’ sculptures reveal what a person thinks. Four years before Linda Lewis was set to take early retirement from her teaching career, she enrolled in a figurative clay art workshop. She minored in art in college, but teaching paid the bills; art didn’t. At the workshop, she wanted to
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Posted April 03, 2019in Iowa Artist
Mixing old art with the new When artist Buffalo Bonker needed to focus on his artwork, he moved from California to Iowa. No, it’s not a typo. He moved from Orange County because Iowa provided fewer distractions and a more reasonable cost of living. “It was a town of insurance
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Posted March 06, 2019in Iowa Artist
Pinnacle art form evolved billions of years ago When crafting a story about how the earth was created millions of years ago, the creator didn’t post pictures on Instagram or upload Google documents describing the planet’s surface. Only one creative form accurately describes what the earth was back then: rocks.
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Posted February 06, 2019in Iowa Artist
Jesse Bogenrief comes from a “glass family.” Jesse Bogenrief works with 2,300-degree temps every day, but the occasional bead of sweat trickling down his brow doesn’t deter his passion for creating beauty. Bogenrief is a glass blower. He opened JJ Gaffers Studio at Mainframes Studios in 2017 but started his
Read More →Artist encourages debate When you walk into Jeff Rider’s studio at Mainframe Studios, you’ll find artwork with skeletons, a butterfly, candy corn and Monopoly play money. Glancing at the paintings, you wonder, “Is it surrealism? Modern art? Mixed media? Or (D) – none of the above?” “I don’t categorize my
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