Frame Works Hosts Reception For New Art & Soul Exhibition

The work of five local artists will be on display right here in Johnston starting tonight.

Frame Works, 5800 Merle Hay Road, presents the new exhibit Art & Soul with a reception from 5 to 7 tonight.

The new exhibition displays the work of five women with diverse artistic backgrounds. The exhibition will continue until Dec. 31.

Saundra Devick
Saundra Devick has lived in Iowa her whole life, raising five children, and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature are the ingredients to Saundra Devick’s love of painting. The love of putting on canvas or paper her feelings of her daily experiences. She has painted for nearly 40 years. Other hobbies have come and gone, but not her art. Saundra has painted on her own, taken lessons, taught lessons, taken workshops, and taught workshops. She has drawn and painted a variety of subject matter in almost exclusively in oil, pastel, and watercolor. Only recently has she been mixing some of the watercolor with acrylic.

If you were to ask her what her favorite medium and subject matter might be - well it varies - but this year it has been oil portraits and watercolor flowers, opposites in both medium and subject matter. Saundra enjoys the escape painting allows, escape into the world of creativity.

Kathy Glenn
Kathy Glenn grew up not far from Drake University, where she received her undergraduate and master's degrees in fine arts and teaching. She has "made" art almost her entire life – receiving awards as a student and later, as an adult, in juried shows. She has attended numerous workshops with distinguished watercolor artists across the country and has been mentored by Mary Muller in Des Moines.

Today she is involved in Heartland classes for teachers, encouraging the spirit of creativity and helping her students bring their passion for the natural world into their classrooms.  She continues to produce art – working in the painting a week school using oils on canvas. These paintings reflect an inner world found in the boundaries of her yard and interpret those items that are small and often overlooked. She is also working on a series of watercolors based on the theme of “sisters.” Kathy is "in love" with color and movement and considers her painting and her teaching to be an attempt to pass this love to others.

Connie Guillaume
Connie Guillaume was born and raised in West Des Moines. Her interest in art began when she met local, well-known portrait artist, Mary Muller. She studied under Muller off and on for over 20 years. In 1984, at the age of 32 she returned to college and received an associate degree, then worked as a commercial artist 16 years before returning in a serious manner to fine art.

In the transition time from commercial artist to fine artist, she had an unexpected opportunity to teach at the Des Moines Art Center. This led to other teaching avenues, such as adult education classes offered through Ankeny community school and finally accepting the challenge in 2001 from Muller to teach young students who were seeking art instruction. She taught private lessons to youth for more than six years, enjoying the fun and challenge they brought to her.

Trained in realism, Guillaume has always had a passion for portraits. She enjoys the challenge of capturing the beauty and spirit of another person. These portraits and her various other realistic work are done in a variety of mediums such as charcoal, pastel, and oil. Another passion she holds is for prison ministry. In 2004 she met inmate Ronnie White, an outstanding artist in his own right. This friendship has been an influence on her work. Intrigued by his hidden image style, she began to incorporate it into her own work.

A workshop given by international artist Lian Zhen in 2006 began an interest in watercolor. His ability to draw out images from the watercolor pour technique gave Guillaume a path to experiment with the idea in a different way which offers both art in an abstract and realistic manner. She continues to create realistic pieces in various mediums, however her current work increasingly shows a commitment to watercolor and this dramatic new change in style.

Linda Kielsmeier
Linda Kielsmeier is a graduate of Iowa State University with a BA degree in Applied Art Advertising Design. She worked as a graphic artist for several years but did not feel creatively fulfilled. She then began to pursue a fine art education by taking fine art classes at the University of Northern Iowa and pastel painting classes from Jean Murray of Cedar Rapids. In 2004 Linda and her husband moved to Johnston, and she enrolled in charcoal and pastel painting classes from Mary Muller of Des Moines. Since 2000 Linda has attended several pastel work shops.

Linda wants her paintings to be so interesting that the viewer will stop and take a closer look. She uses colors that are perhaps more vivid than she actually sees. Linda wants the viewer to look at her landscapes and wish they had been there. When Linda paints people she tries to show their grace, strength and innocence, perhaps reflecting the situation they are presently in.

Martha Rhoades
Martha Rhoades has had a love of drawing as far back as she can remember.  Martha used to draw on any blank sheet of paper she could get her hands on
and it still remains her passion. Martha began taking watercolor classes in 1991 after her youngest child completed high school. She has since gone on to take classes in a variety of media from Mary Muller in Des Moines and from various national and international artists such as  Alvara Castagnet and Don Andrews. 

She has exhibited and won awards in various exhibits and galleries, and has exhibited in Des Moines Exhibited, Iowa Exhibited, the Iowa State Fair, and Iowa Watercolor Society. Martha is a member of the Iowa Watercolor Society, Iowa Pastel Society. Her special interest is in portrait painting but she also paints a variety of compositions in watercolor, charcoal, and pastel. She lives on the south side of Des Moines where she has resided for 25 years.

The artists will be in attendance at the reception. Stop by and enjoy some wine, some food and help support these talented local artists!