2016 Artisans Road Trip Artist Pam Harp at the Le Mars Art Center in August!

Artwork ©Pam Harp

Local watercolor artist, Pam Harp is excited to present her first solo exhibition, "The Earth Laughs in Flowers" A Collection of Floral Watercolors by Pam Harp. Her work will be on display at the Le Mars Art Center for the month of August. The public is invited to meet the artist at a gallery reception on Thursday, August 4 from six to eight p.m.

Pam is a Contemporary Realist fascinated by the intricate detail she observes in her floral subjects. From the lacy petals of a peony to the folds of a rose, her tightly rendered watercolors capture their exquisite beauty.

Pam's passion for flowers inspire her watercolors. "Have you ever stopped to really take in the amazing detail offered in a flower garden? It seems the closer you look, the more you see. It's my hope to capture that detail in a way that allows you the opportunity to enjoy that incredible array with me."

Pam Harp is an Alton based artist whose work is currently represented at the Le Mars Art Center as well as the Summerwind Gallery in Arnold's Park. Two pieces of her art have been juried into the 2016 Iowa State Fair in August, and she is among the artists selected for this year's Artisans Road Trip, an open studio tour of Northwest Iowa artists on October 8 and 9. 

Her work has also appeared at the Orange City Art's Regional Exhibition at the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center at Northwestern College, an  A.R.T. Group Exhibition at Witter Gallery in Storm Lake and The Denver Discovery at Highlands Ranch Mansion in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

For more information on the exhibition, contact Judy Marienau at 712-546-7476 at the Le Mars Art Center - www.lemarsarts.com.  Artisans Road Trip information can be found at www.artisansroadtrip.com.

2013 A.R.T. Artist Anita K. Plucker - Reflections: That Time, That Place

 

"Adaptation - Bullfrog"

color pencil drawing - ©Anita K. Plucker

 

From Terril, Iowa, Anita K. Plucker, nicknamed Katie, recently retired - finally enabling her to become a full-time artist and to continue her love to teach by conducting workshops throughout the Midwest.  Anita has been a popular art instructor for many art organizations, including the Amana Arts Guild, the Pearson Lakes Art Center, Arts on Grand, A Piece of Work, the Blanden and others.  She is a member of area arts councils and arts committees, a participant in the Artisans Road Trip event, is a member of the Transparent Watercolor Society, a signature member of the Iowa Watercolor Society and a charter member of the Colored Pencil Society of America.  

 

 

 "From my Kayak - Color on Minnewashta" 

watercolor painting -  ©Anita K. Plucker

Anita's watercolor paintings and colored pencil drawings reflect her life in the upper Midwest - rural landscapes. waterscapes, architecture indicative to this area. Currently her inspiration and focus for her work are the designs, the patterning created as nature and man play with the surface of the land and water. The bulk of her work has been created from photos taken while kayaking, one of her favorite ways to get up close with nature. Anita's approach to her artwork is realistic and her style ranges from loose flowing brushstrokes to tightly controlled detail. She looks for spatial relationship with the subject matter and loves to simulate surface texture.

 

"My Ducks In A Row"

 watercolor painting -  ©Anita K. Plucker

The Pearson Lakes Art Center will exhibit her work, titled Reflections: That Time, That Place, October 24th through December 31st, in the Weaver Lobby and McIlrath Landing Galleries of the center. Meet the artist at the Opening Reception, Thursday, October 24, 5-7 p.m., with an Artist Talk at 6 p.m. 

 

2011 Artisans Road Trip Artist - Barb McGee

This Artisans Road Trip spot light is on artist Barb McGee!  Barb works from her studio and gallery in Peterson, Iowa.  Barb is going to give us a little insight into her selective process in working with a painting.

"For me starting a new painting means finding the perfect photograph or in some cases many photo's.  For my current painting it was a matter of reduction.  At my opening reception at A Piece Of Work in Spirit Lake I stated that I wanted to paint a white shirt.  Now I am not at all sure why a cowboy would want to wear a white shirt but some of them really do.

Last year my husband Don and I went to a ranch in South Dakota for a branding.  I took over a thousand pictures.  I knew I had at least one guy in a white shirt so I started looking to figure out which photo had the most potential.

These are the best ones I had to pick from.  They are very involved photos that are going to make very involved paintings.  My idea of an ideal painting is simple and in your face.  I like to crop and simplify so it was an easy choice for me.  The next step is to examine my choice and see if I can make it better.  I went through several croppings until I found the one I liked best.

Good

Better

Better, but still too much noise under the horses head

Ah Ha, now that is what I wanted :-)  I have my white shirt & ropes and saddle and even a hat, what more could I want????  It doesn't seem to bother me that my cowboy has no head, what do you think of the headless horseman?  Maybe it has something to do with living on Sleepy Hollow Road :-)"

 Watercolor Painting ©Barb McGee

And here is Barb's finished painting!

Stop by again for more interesting artists from the 2011 Artisans Road Trip!

Those Dreaded Comissions

"Hot Rodder"
(watercolor)

This Artisans Road Trip blog features Barb McGee, a painter whose studio is located in the Ridge and Tallgrass region of A.R.T. - in Peterson, Iowa. Barb's favored mediums are watercolor and oil, and her subject matter is generally western in theme, and (although not limited to) equine.

"Megan's Painting"

(watercolor)

Barb is speaking today on her views of commissioned works:

"There are two sides to every issue and the same is true of commissions. Almost every artist I know hates to do commissions and they growl the whole time they are doing them. Because of the type of work that I do, it seems that I am blessed with a number of them. I have devised a plan that sometimes works well for me and my client. If it is at all possible, I will go and take my own photographs of the subject. I will usually take twenty or thirty shots and then all we have to do is download to their computer and choose which one we want to use for the painting. This method gives both of us input into the painting but allows me to feel like it is my own creation.

Kathy's Folks
(watercolor)

On the other side of the coin are the commissions that drive us all wild AUGH !!! Here are three different pictures of my dad's dead horses can you do a painting of them??? Of course all of the snapshots are from 20 ft away and none are really what you would call attractive and one of them is turned in the opposite direction, what do you do then? PUNT, IMPROVISE, then I praise God that when it is done, they will come and get it and give me a check. It won't be collecting dust in the gallery for the rest of my natural life. Yeah for commissions?????"

"Alexis Foot"
(watercolor)

You can see more of Barb McGee's artwork on her art websites - McGee Gallery & Framing, and Horses by McGee.

Stop back on occasion and see what the artisans of A.R.T. are up to, their thought process, or typical day in the studio or in the field!

Join Us!

Join us for a year of creativity; for a spring, summer and fall of painting, throwing pottery, printmaking, photography, glass blowing, stained glass, mosaics, making jewelry, you name it!

We are the Artisans Road Trip of Northwest Iowa, and our member artists are working in their studios, showing in galleries, and even working afield - toward the ultimate art studio tour to come on October 1st, 2nd and 3rd in 2010.

Join us for some weekly commentary from many of our artists...commentary about what they are up to, obstacles they are hurdling, artwork they are making, goals they are progressing toward; see what transpires!

Join us for the year on the road from studio to studio - then on to the Artisans Road Trip!