Meet our newest Board Members – Best of Missouri Hands

Please join us in welcoming Kim (Foster) Powell and Carleen Holweg Johns as our newest board members.   Both are respected juried artists with the Best of Missouri Hands who have had success both as artists and businesswomen.  We look forward to working with Kim and Carleen as they lend their voice and talents to our organization.

Art by Kim Foster

Kim Powell

ARTIST STATEMENT

I specialize in custom watercolor painting, particularly of historic homes and of architectural landscapes. Every painting is saturated with details that make each home unique. Look carefully at every painting to find small objects I hide throughout my work which have special meaning. Being an avid gardener, I enjoy painting greenery and flowers. I enjoy the contrast between the angles of architectural structures and the organic shapes in nature. Nature has always been my biggest inspiration and I take comfort when painting outdoors.

I was born in Elkhart, IN and moved to the St. Louis metro area after receiving my Bachelor of Fine Arts from William Woods University in Fulton, MO and my Masters in Education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. I have been teaching art since 1991 and now teach at Kirkwood High School. In 2006, the Missouri Art Education Association honored me with the “HS Art Teacher of the Year Award.” In addition, I am delighted to be featured as one of the area’s top fine art teachers in the May 2007 issue of St. Louis Magazine. I am an associate member of St. Louis Watercolor Society, MO Watercolor Society, and a Juried Member of Best of MO Hands. Since 2003, I have been actively displaying my work in both solo gallery exhibitions or group shows, and exhibiting at local and national art fairs. I invite you to further explore my work on my website at www.artbykimfoster.com.

 

Carleen Holweg Johns

Owner: Natural Creations Rock & Jewelry

Artist Statement: I have taught art and English in Missouri schools since the early 1980’s, so I’m a bit of a jack of all trades, enjoying watercolor, pastels, pottery, printmaking, and silversmithing in particular. For the last 12 years, I’ve been making and selling my jewelry online, at regional craft fairs, and on consignment. I started my home jewelry business in 2014.   I create jewelry using sterling silver and fine silver clay (PMC3). Most of my work is textured and usually contains a natural stone or fused glass cabochon. My sterling silver pieces tend to be simple in style, allowing the cabochon to be the star. Most of my fine silver pieces have sculptural elements from nature such as flowers and leaves that surround the cabochons, holding them in place.  My design process starts with the choosing of a stone or glass cabochon. I then make a variety of drawings until I find a setting that I think enhances it. Thinking out the process comes next as I determine which techniques will be used and in what order they need to be done.

I have lived in southern Missouri all of my life. I grew up with a large creative family, learning to crochet, embroider, quilt, and sew at a young age.

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