Gallery Exhibit, "Drips and Daubs"

This colorful exhibit features the works of Mary Zeran and Dena Tollefson. Here's a little about each artist.

Mary Zeran

Bursting with joyous color and layered abstract forms, Mary Zeran’s artwork celebrates rhythm, and motion.  Her mixed media compositions focus on her exploration into emotions, nature, and what it means to be human. “I paint on acetate, edit out the essential shapes, and then arrange them on a painted surface. This allows me to interact with the ‘object’. It is a spontaneous and collaborative process. This
way of working, gives me the chance to be responsive to the random things that happen in the process of cutting and gluing. Later, I go in and draw. I highlight things that I find interesting in the image below.” – Mary Zeran

Ms. Zeran has exhibited nationally at galleries in New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles.  Her works can be found in the permanent collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids Museum of art, The University of Iowa, The University of Iowa Hospitals, St. Luke's Hospital, SE Iowa Community College West Burlington, and Kirkwood Community College.

Dena Tollefson

Her "Daubism" body of work is a unique process she developed, where "daubs" of individually mixed oil paint are applied with a palette knife. The largest daubs are applied with a serving spoon, allowing ridges of paint which catch the light and appear to dance and scintillate as the viewer moves past the painting. 

"I am a Colorist and am known for bold works in the Avant-garde style as well as contemporary realism focusing on botanicals and landscapes, especially ponds.   I employ vigorous brushwork and texture through the palette knife in my work so that people may experience along with me the ‘feel’ of the painting.” - Dena Tollefson

Two of Dena Tollefson's paintings are in the permanent collection of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Corporate collections include: Mercy Hospital, Cedar Rapids, St.Luke's Hospital and St. Luke's Hospice Cedar Rapids, Farm Credit Services Omaha, Nebraska, and the Marion Art Council.