I studied two things in college — art and computer science. Which do you think paid better? After a career in technology, I’ve picked up my paintbrush again and found happiness and peace of mind. I grew up in the house of an artist. For my entire life I was surrounded by my mother’s paintings, drawings and art books. Needless to say, I picked up drawing at a young age. During art school I never had a lot of patience for painting. I found it too fussy and unforgiving. Nowadays, I have more wisdom and I’ve grown to love the craft of producing a finished painting. I paint original paintings on archival quality hardboard panels using the best quality acrylic paints. My subjects usually involve the natural world, but often include a hint that humans are there, too.

Bryan Abing is a self-taught oil painter born and raised in the heart of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area. His paintings focus on the rural and wild landscapes of Wisconsin.

My name is Jason Stuempges. I’m a landscape photographer from La Crescent, Minnesota, but have spent the majority of my life in southwest Wisconsin. I love photographing the beauty of the La Crosse, WI and the surrounding driftless region. It’s such a hidden gem. From the rolling hills and meandering rivers and creeks that run through the valleys, there really is no shortage of scenes to photograph. Photography has given me the opportunity to explore more. Whether it’s taking a trip up to the North Shore of Minnesota, or just exploring the bluffs around me. I don’t think I would have witnessed all these amazing things if it wasn’t for my camera. You can find me selling my photography at local art shows throughout the year, at a local gallery in La Crosse, and directly on my website at jasonrayphotography.com. I have been living full time in a 2022 Minnie Winnie RV with my girlfriend Hannah and are starting our shouse(shed + house) build. The shouse will include both a living space and studio/gallery for my photography. Our goal is to have it up by winter with the gallery ready by spring of 2026.

Karen Genz got into photography as a result of COVID-19. As a way to get out of the house, she started going for hikes and bike rides, taking photos along the way. She discovered she had a knack for it, and with the encouragement of family and friends, she pursued it as a regular hobby, taking part in local art fairs and displays at the Pump House in La Crosse, WI and various La Crosse businesses.

Joshua Cunningham has been painting the landscape for over 20 years. He lives in St. Paul, with his wife Shannon, their children, Greta, William, and a sheepdog. He is a member of the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, Oil Painters of America, and a Signature member of the American Impressionist Society. His paintings of the upper Midwest have won regional, national, and international awards. Joshua’s work is represented at Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis, MN; Olson-Larsen Galleries in West Des Moines, IA; Bell Street Galleries in Bayfield and Madeline Island, WI; Patrician Galleries in Wilmette, IL.
Oil Painting is the way I seek to understand what interests me, stirs my faith, and awakens memories. I paint how I see because I feel representational painting offers a human expression of the world around us in a language we all hold in common. As an artist, my primary goal is do right by my subjects. If I have done right by them, the paintings have a chance to stir you as the scene has stirred me. The Driftless Area is a relic of an older world, as it was before the glaciers ground down and reshaped the landscape. It is a Midwestern time capsule. It is driftless, in every sense of the definition. In geological terms, it is devoid of soil and stone, pushed along by the glaciers. And in a poetical since, as I wander the area, my mind is set adrift along the rhythms of the land. These paintings are not unlike the fossils I find along creek beds. They are a record.

Andy Evansen’s career in art started as a medical illustrator in Minneapolis, creating artwork for medical device companies, textbooks and surgeons. When that industry became dependent on digital art in the early 1990s, he longed for a return to fine art and began watercolor painting. His work gained recognition after winning an international watercolor competition for American Artist Magazine, appearing on their cover. Soon he began getting requests to teach, and he now travels and paints around the world.
His paintings have won numerous awards, including the Bronze Medal of Honor at the 2025 American Watercolor Society Exhibition, and he has now achieved Dolphin Fellow status in the American Watercolor Society, their highest honor. He is also a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, San Diego Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society, and the California Art Club, and was recently invited to join the Pure Watercolour Society in England as their international member.
His love of painting on location led to him being a featured presenter at the 2014 and 2016 Plein Air Conventions and inclusion in the 2017 Qingdao International Masters Watercolor Plein Air Event.

A self-taught artist, Hannah C. Heyer draws a lot of inspiration from her local area in rural southeastern Minnesota, especially the farm on which she lives: “As familiar as the back of my hand, yet never the same two days in a row.”
She enjoys the challenge of plein air painting; the way it encourages her to take a closer look, to more fully take in and appreciate what might otherwise go unnoticed. Her work is a study and celebration of place, time and season; an attempt to capture a fleeting and changing view.

Mike Lind is an artist and graphic designer living in the hills near Soldiers Grove with his wife, Dani, and their two border collies. He runs Aspen Farm Studios, helping small businesses, farmers, and nonprofits with their print and web design needs.