The Jasper County Public Library provides limited space at each of our locations for display of original works of art and crafts, as well as display of private collections. These exhibits, as approved by library staff, are encouraged as a cultural expression of local community activity.
For more information, please read our Art Exhibit and Display Case Use Policy. Or stop in or call with questions.
Kim Hunter is the Acquisitions Specialist at the Rensselaer Public Library. She has had an interest in photography for many years, particularly landscape and animal photography. This is the first time her photos have been shown.
The photos here are all from her March 2022 trip to the Southwest, including Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah, and Colorado.
Good Marrow!
I’m Autumn, and I am a multi-medium artist who works in ceramics, sculpture, textiles, colored pencil, charcoal, oil and acrylic paints, wood, and ink wash! I’m also the Youth Services Specialist at the DeMotte Library.
These inkwashes are from a series I call “Urelion” (OO-rel-EE-un), which is based off a story that my Fiancée and I have been working on for the past several years. In these pieces I’ve brought Aralia, the elven princess and Sma to “life” from their written origins. In these images, you’ll be able to catch glimpses of their travels throughout Urelion.
For context, the idea of the story is that Aralia (Uh-rah-lee-uh) is undercover and trying to correct a several hundred-year-old feud. Sma and his dragon, Guinevere, act as her guide and protection as they travel from one kingdom to the next. They encounter countless obstacles and other characters on their way to the Dwarven Kingdom.
In terms of the art, these pieces begin with coffee-stained watercolor paper on which I then sketch the base outline. From there I take various water-ink ratios to create different shades of the same color. These shades are used to create the layers in the pieces. By starting with the lightest colors and then slowly darkening with each layer, the process will eventually come up with something like these end products. To polish off the pieces, I add white acrylic paint and iridescent calligraphy ink for highlights.
You can see more art on my Instagram @raeging_dragon or visit my Facebook page Raeging Dragon.
Jasper County Art League member Patricia Knopf has been working with art from an early age.
"My interest in art began as a young child growing up in Michigan. I loved to draw the things I would see when my family went on our weekly rides in the country."
She also discovered painting, from paint by number to to oil painting in high school, and was chosen to display her pieces at a local restaurant.
She worked on "arts and crafts" type projects while working and raising a family, but as a retiree, her friends urged her to get back into painting.
"Life seemed to get In the way of my art when I started working and raised my family," she said.
"I am now retired and when I moved to DeMotte a few years ago I met people who encouraged me start painting again. I joined the Jasper County Art League and the Prairie Arts Council which offered classes along with the opportunity to work with other local artists.
"I like to work with many mediums and am always eager to learn something new. I am currently working with zentangle and acrylic pour projects along with my regular painting.
"I believe that all types of artist creativity is amazing whether it be painting, pottery, dance, sewing, cooking, photography, music, acting, etc. The world would be less beautiful wlthout these activities in my opinion."
Knopf's works can be seen through July and August at the Wheatfield Library.
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