Meet Our Artists!

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Marsha Bailey lives on a farm near Monona, Iowa. She started creating her beautiful silver spoon jewelry from silver plate flatware 15 years ago. She is motivated by the simple joy of creating and she enjoys finding her silverware at auctions where she feels, “It’s like a treasure hunt.” Marsha Does offer custom work for those looking for a specific type of pattern!

Mandy Betz is a passionate self-taught artist from Oelwein Iowa. The story of her artwork is one that resonates with many and has it's roots in depression. Mandy uses her art as therapy to fight it. Though she works with color pencil, acrylic, oil, she claims watercolor as her favorite "I just love the way it flows, I create more of a whimsical vibe to my paintings"

 Amy Bishop began her creative journey in 1992 when she was given an 35mm Olympus camera. By 2010 she starting combining her passion for form and color to create abstract art from paper, ink, encaustic, paint, plaster and fabric. Kirkwood college has included her work in their permanent collection and she is on display in eastern Iowa, California, Oregon, Ohio, Colorado, and Florida.  

 Don Briggs, from Cedar Falls, Iowa, enjoys helping people to see everyday things in a different light. Using his amazing wood-working skills, he creates beautiful cribbage boards and wooden banks that make use of old mail boxes and come complete with combinations. Both make wonderful gifts for that special person, young or old. 

 Ted Carpenter’s Blue Heron Beadwork,, Coralville, Iowa, is the home-based studio from which he designs and creates three categories of classic jewelry; strung beads and pearls, chain and wire work, and set gemstones, using semi-precious gemstones and fresh water pearls finished with sterling silver, gold-filled or copper components. He hopes his jewelry is something to wear forever. 

Ryan Chambers is a very passionate local artists. Ryan works with resin and other textured materials or wood to create a base for his pieces. He then uses a lathe to form beautiful curves and shapes. Ryan will find a object or texture he is inspired by and turn it into a work of art! 

Gerald Clymer is a woodworking artist from Monona Iowa. He first began working with wood when he made furniture for his home and found he couldn't just toss the scraps. He began turning them into beautiful wood boxes. "I like wood, wood is warm, natural, giving forgiving, friendly and warm."

Michele Cummuta (Marchant-Cummuta) I have been married for more than 40 years to my husband Tim. I love in Wisconsin along the Mississippi River. I work with a number of mediums. I enjoy watercolor painting and drawing. I use both to do my work. I also do work in pottery which I enjoy immensely. I have been created many different forms of art for more than 30 years. 

 Kris Grover from Marshalltown Iowa, has a lively and playful touch in her work as a textile and fabric artist. She currently focuses her talents on torn paper collages where minute pieces of paper, which Kris embellishes, are affixed to wood panel creating vibrant and often whimsical compositions. 

Jane Hash resides in Lone Rock WI but her passion for jewelry-making began

in Hawaii a few years ago. Though Jane seldom wears jewelry herself, she

finds satisfaction is making pieces others enjoy wearing. With materials ranging from jasper to niobium, each offering is

unique, whimsical and eye-catching

 Jillian Webb Herrmann: I became fascinated by the study of color, abstraction and conceptual art while I earned a Bachelor's of Fine Arts from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Born and raised in North Carolina, I was always drawn to the Atlantic but since moving to the midwest, I found a new appreciation for gravel roads, small-town life and never ending corn fields.  

Nona Hyytinen is a figurative oil painter drawing inspiration from literature, mythology and history. I work in a realistic romantic tradition and feature vintage clothing evocative landscapes and rich color in my work. Besides figurative paintings, I enjoy horses and dogs as subjects since they have been used to create an ambiance of family comfort in English country homes for three centuries. 

Joy James is a McGregor resident. She works with precious metal silver clay to create unique  Jewelry. She draws her inspiration from nature in this beautiful area and she takes the time to find leaves to press into pendants to give realistic detail.  She offers earring,  pendants and rings as beautiful gifts or to spoil yourself! Don't pass up the opportunity to wear a one-of a- kind piece!

Karen Juno lives in Madison, Wisconsin where her lively assortment of animal portraits grace the walls and are for sale at many local vet clinics, children’s hospitals, and Meuer Art, which she currently manages. Her life-long passion for art is expressed through many different mediums including oil, acrylics, watercolors, printmaking, and jewelry. 

Rebecca Kobos is a retired teacher who spends her time in both Lansing, IA and Florida. "I have a long going love for fiber arts and surface design." Rebecca uses various color and sizes of fabrics to make unique fabric collages. Her art takes many forms from collage landscapes to t-shirts and hand-sewn cards. 

 Liza Paizis originally from South Africa is A McGregor resident who is a self-taught visual and Jewelry artist. "I love painting all things imaginative and symbolic and  inspired by our connection to nature and the universe in a visionary way." For many years she has sold her work and jewelry traveling throughout England, Scotland, South Africa and Australia. 

Harold Rosauer is a local Iowa artist. He excels at wood carving and detail. "I

have carved over 993 birds and have spent 900 hours to finish just one. My

most popular items are the wood carved bird feather pins painted with such

life-like precision, you would think a slight breeze would carry them away. I also lathe turned wooden vessels and pendant jewelry.

Helen Rowell has been weaving baskets for over 40 years. "While growing up my family made use of the baskets that my father and grandfather made from willows grown for just that purpose." After being taught by family she then learned weaving techniques from the Amanas, England and Australia. Most weaving is done late fall to early spring. 

Jennifer Scudiero is a midwestern woman at heart. After living in various places around the US, she finally settled back in her hometown of Winona, Minnesota. She enjoys using a variety of media to create her distinctive jewelry and hair clips. She describes her style as, “modern and polished”. 

Naseem Shahrivar is a skilled abstract artist who achieved her Bachelors in Arts from Coe College. Naseem deftly uses color, and texture to create movement that keeps the viewer engaged. Digitally manipulating basic images and painting them in a new light is one of her main processes. This artist brings a new perspective to everyday objects.  

 Elizabeth Shriver "I work with clay to create an array of graceful, organic forms. Rarely relying on glaze, I use textures, stains and colored clay to add visual and tactile interest. I am drawn toward neutral earth tones, and my work reflects the natural landscape, plant and undersea life that are my inspiration.

A successful piece is one that begs to be touched as well as explored visually."

Bird Skemp, one of our local McGregor artists, has found her creative outlet in stones, wire, metal, paper, plastic, rubber, fabric, wood, leather, and just about anything else she get her hands on to create her beautiful, one-of-a-kind jewelry. This creativity has made her a local favorite.

Margaret Stone: I enjoy created finished products from raw materials whether it be reed, fabric, yarn or garden seeds. I am an avid birder, basket weaver, gardener and grandma who juggles these passions with part-time work at the Elkader Hospital. I share the love of outdoors with my husband Larry, a photographer and journalist.