KEN HOSMER
North Platte, Nebraska

Symphonic Connection

Watercolor

This special painting captures the spiritual essence of connection—between musician, instrument, and the rhythmic flow of music.

The shifting passages of watercolor further enhance this sensation.

In this painting, I portray the double bass which is the largest of the string instruments in the symphony orchestra. Its low tones often provide a rhythmic and harmonic foundation which makes the whole orchestra sound richer and more resonant.

BETH JASNOCH

Kearney, Nebraska

Altered History

Metal Sculpture

"We have our choice of living in the past or the future—the present being but for an instant. In the future, there is the reality. The past is the history of our failure in attaining it." ..Quote from Robert Henri

The bits and pieces in this rusty landscape vary in age. Some are new and smooth, others are over a hundred years old—weathered and timeworn—collected from fields, tracks, dusty roads, byways, and places untold. Imagine the stories they could tell. Discarded and cast aside with little thought, scraps of history, now rearranged and reconfigured into a new vista, chained together in this present time for a journey through another hundred years.

DAVID DORSEY

Valentine, Nebraska

Ode to Mary Conomora

Acrylic

I love the many portraits by Robert Henri, their vibrant colors and wonderful compositions. The models in his paintings gaze out from the canvas and transport us to a past era, yet they still resonate with us today. My piece is a tribute to his painting titled “Mary of Conomora”, painted on one of his trips to Ireland. I have Irish immigrants in my family, and this is a thread connecting me to that distant land.

JERENE KRUSE

Albion, Nebraska

Splish, Splash, Drip, Drop

Hand-built Clay

“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans.” --Kahlil Gibran

When I saw a slow-motion video of a water droplet, I was fascinated by what happens to that simple drop of water.  I was in awe of the action of the drop of water.  There is so much power and movement in the splash and drip. I decided to create a sculptural piece of clay that portrays the idea of a water drop combined with the idea of a splash. I started with a simple pinch pot, then shaped the clay into a splashing drop and wave. Water is life-sustaining and refreshing, but can also be cruel and cause devastation. Water is an intriguing force of nature.

MARCIA BAUERLE
imperial, Nebraska

Everything Connects

Mixed media

This painting was inspired by a 500-year-old quote from Leonardo DaVinci. The mandala is formed by Sacred Geometry and depicts Earth from space, surrounded by plants, animals, and insects. It shows the intricate and interconnected web of life where all living beings depend on each other. For instance, plants rely on pollinators for their survival, and the health and nutrition of humans rely on the well-being of the plants and creatures we share this planet with.  Science is dependent on art. Art is dependent on science. Everything Connects.

PATRICIA COSLOR
Sargent, Nebraska

As If They Were Persons

Acrylic

From: Book 1 Chapter 4 
My Àntonia

by Willa Cather

"Trees were so rare in that country, and they had such a hard fight to grow that we used to feel anxious about them, and visit them as if they were persons."