Waters of Life Descriptors: Artists A-J

ROBERTA BARNES

Halsey, Nebraska

I Still Think of You

Oil on Linen Panel

Images have a way of transporting the viewer to another place and time. I wanted to create a scene of longing and remembrance as if morning coffee catches us in our own aside. As individuals, we each pass through our lives. Each of us has our path that we have followed. Some of us have lived a life filled with family, and some are solitary. But being the emotional humans we are, our thoughts will always travel to times when we either were searching for or longing for companionship or reminiscing about a shared space and time we had with someone special. We all desire to love and hold on to the cherished time we’ve shared with the ones we will continue to love.

BEN DARLING

Sidney, Nebraska

Confluence of the Niobrara and Missouri

Oil on Canvas

The Niobrara forms Nebraska's northern border, and the Missouri forms its eastern border. As with most rivers and streams, they have different characteristics. Traveling their courses in Nebraska reveals the different habitats they support.

Water is a world
Water liquid or solid falls
plants and earth share and hold some,
extra finds rivers lakes oceans and air
Describing its place in our lives
would take the raindrops in a river.

KAREN DIENSTBIER

Lincoln, Nebraska

The Falls

Watercolor

I have been a student of watching water for many years. Playing in it as a kid, jumping waves and swimming in it, then watching it tumble over rocks, in streams, snuggling in and around stones in creeks and rivers. It has taken me a long time to be able to interpret it into paint, the flow of it, the transparency of it, and coolness of it running over hands. It can hypnotize one who sits quietly and watches it pass by. It can nurture us in a way that other elements can not.

DAVID DORSEY

Valentine, Nebraska

At My Fingertips

Acrylic

Mighty rivers and endless oceans begin with a single drop of water, that can turn into raging torrents, or tranquil seas. A drop can nurture new life, and wash away the marks left behind of past days and ancient civilizations. Water can erode the mightiest rock and in time rust the strongest metal. We can touch it with our hands, feel its presence, taste its coolness, and marvel at a single drop and what it can do. It is endless, it is essential, it is the water of life.

DEBRA JOY GROESSER

Ralston, Nebraska

Norden Chute

Oil on Linen Panel

The Niobrara River runs for 76 miles through north-central Nebraska. It has been a significant source of life-sustaining water, dating as far back as prehistoric times. Areas along the river and surrounding valleys provide habitat for endangered birds, fish, and nesting bald eagles. The middle Niobrara River Valley is known as the “biological crossroads of the Great Plains” where six different ecological systems converge. It also serves as an ecological crossroads for several species of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates. The Norden Chute is one of my favorite spots along the Niobrara.

JANNA HARSCH

Greenwood, Nebraska

Water is Life

Alkyd on Aluminum

Like humans, around 75% of a horse's body weight is water, which translates to 95 gallons for an average adult horse. Mustangs, like those I used as models, are often relegated to the roughest and driest parts of federal land, but fortunately, this herd has access to a creek that runs through their territory.

I decided to use high-key colors rather than realistic hues to capture the viewer’s attention. I intend to emphasize the simple yet vital act of drinking water.

SUSAN HART

Cozad, Nebraska

Flowing Upward

Acrylic

Inspired by the oceans, the Platte River, and the Holy Spirit. Deep blue waves embrace the serene flow of the Platte River, where light dances on the water’s surface in shimmering whispers. Charged with an ethereal presence, the air feels alive with the Holy Spirit, depicted as soft tendrils of mist weaving through the currents. The horizon fades into a golden glow, symbolizing divine light and spiritual ascent, capturing the harmony between nature’s power and the sacred.

BETH JASNOCH

Kearney, Nebraska

Moving on Down

Acrylic Mixed Media

“Life flows like water—sometimes calm, sometimes tumultuous, but always moving.” --Author Unknown

Water—we can’t live without it; sometimes we feel we can’t live with what it offers us. Water is a force of nature to be reckoned with. A blessing and a curse. It can be calm, comforting, healing, or powerful and destructive like the raging floodwaters that cut its path. On a pleasant day, it feels like a refreshing drink, quenching thirst and soothing the soul, somewhat like a beautiful painting!

I Still Think of You

Sprinkle Joy

Fish Out of Water

The Land and Its Waters

Twilight Bridge