by: Shannon Meis (Brouk)

The creation of “Daisy” was inspired by the flower itself and how hair is associated with feminine beauty. In making this composition, I wanted those two elements alone to be the focus, with the rest of the composition being secondary in attention. That’s why I chose to have her head turned to the side and her eyes looking down, so there’s not an obvious beautiful face rendered to symbolize beauty, but is represented through her long, wavy hair.

From a materials point-of-view, the paper I chose for this piece was green, red’s complimentary color. This makes her fiery-red hair stand out even more, creating the high level of contrast I had intended in my initial sketches. In addition, I chose to keep her attire simple to ensure that her hair remained the focal point of the piece. I chose to use flat black acrylic ink and clothe her with a basic long-sleeve shirt. The rich, dark black ink adds another layer of contrast to the bright yellows, oranges, and reds in her hair.

That being said, the stylistic approach to this piece was not to realistically render the entire portrait, but to capture the essence of the concept of beauty itself through high attention to detail in her hair. Notice too how the daisies cascading down her hair are all rendered flat. They aren’t bent or shaped organically in her hair; they’re purposefully two-dimensional, scattered along her curls as a complement and compositional break to her busy, long, wavy red hair.
I submitted "Daisy" to the State of the Arts (along with two other portraits of mine, "Monarch" and "Glowing Orchids") in the hopes of my work being hung beside other amazing artists within the Kansas City metro area. Each year, the curated works for this show are phenomenal, and I am honored to have had one of my portraits selected to be hung beside such rich local talent! 

In each of my portraits, I hope that my attention to detail draws people in to take a closer look, and that they're able to draw a connection with my subject to someone in their life. There's nothing more satisfying to me than when someone views my work and says "hey, this looks like __!" Building a connection with the viewer is just as satisfying for me as the actual drawing process - both bring me so much joy! 

I've been doodling and drawing for as long as I can remember, and I've been fascinated with portraiture since I was 16. I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't have a sketchbook in my backpack (as a student) or in my purse (as an adult). 

Following my formal education and time at SCAD (my alma mater, the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia), I began to hone in on the concept of beauty in my portrait work, specifically focusing on the concept of feminine beauty in Western culture. Luckily, I live in a country that is full of diversity, and I use a lot of the women I know and are inspired by to draw inspiration for each of my portraits. *Fun fact; the concept of my piece “Daisy” actually originated from my sister, a person I love and admire deeply, and who also has long, fiery red hair. 

The first colored pencil portrait I completed was a self portrait created 12 years ago while I was a sophomore in high school, and ever since then, I’ve never grown tired of drawing portraits and don’t intend on quitting any time soon. :) There are far too many amazing, inspiring, beautiful women in this world to grow tired of capturing them! 

If you want to see an array of engaging, attractive artwork during this coming year, you need look no further than the City of Prairie Village. The Prairie Village Arts Council has just announced their ambitious line-up of art shows for next year that include everything from impressionistic landscapes to woven wall-hangings to stunning portraits. For the first time this year many exhibits will be available simultaneously at two locations: the R.G. Endres Gallery at the Prairie Village City Hall and the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse Gallery at 9100 Nall Ave. The Endres location will continue to serve as the site for opening receptions for the shows, but these evening events have been changed to Wednesdays instead of Fridays. (See below for all show and reception dates and locations.)

The Arts Council will continue to sponsor its two popular juried competitions, the Art of Photography contest held in May and State of the Arts in September. And several new artists will be featured this year, including Susan Richards, who produces weavings with repurposed materials and Shannon Brouk, known for her stunning colorful portraits. Artist Shannon Trevethan, who has served as a juror for the State of the Arts competition, will be displaying her own artwork.

Four of the shows coming this year were originally scheduled for 2020, but were postponed due to the pandemic. These re-scheduled artists include Gloria Gale, Donna Yeager, Debra Payne, and Donna Paul, many of whom produce portraits and impressionistic landscapes with pastels and oils.  

​Along with sponsoring these art exhibits, the Prairie Village Arts Council will also be holding another Prairie Village Art Walk sometime during the summer. This popular event allows residents to visit selected sculptures throughout the city where the sculptors have provided recorded artist statements available on the Otocast phone app.  

The Arts Council will also be sponsoring or participating in the Shooting Stars Gala that recognizes Johnson County high school art students, the Prairie Village Art Show held in June, Villagefest in July, and Jazzfest in September.  And to think that all of this will be available in or around the City of Prairie Village.

Donna Yeager Solo Exhibit
​Artist Reception Wed., Mar. 8, 7:00-8:00pm, R.G. Endres Gallery 
Exhibit: Mar. 4 to May 6, R.G. Endres Gallery
    ​Mar. 4 to Jul. 8, Meadowbrook Clubhouse

​The writer Annie Dillard has argued that the things we should pay the most attention to, whether in art or everyday life, are not the things that we make an effort to seize but rather the things that seize us: those sights and sounds that produce the doubletake, the second glance, the softly murmured, "well that's interesting". 

It's a lovely sentiment to keep in mind as one explores an art museum or gallery, as I did last week at the Saint Louis Art Museum. I had gone during a free afternoon to see an old favorite, Picasso's Mandolin and Vase of Flowers, but found my attention arrested instead by a Giacometti sculpture just around the corner: Hands Holding the Void (Invisible Object). I don't normally go for the Swiss sculptor's emaciated works, and I can't even quite explain why this one so caught my eye, but there I was, rooted in place and head cocked, feeling something like total reevaluation of my prior opinions about Giacometti. The Picasso, though still beautiful, seemed somehow dim in comparison. 

If you find yourself with a similarly free afternoon now through January 6, the Prairie Village Arts Council heartily encourages you to stop by the R.G. Endres Gallery at City Hall to see the current art on display by Jack Stemm, Anne Nye, and Grant Charpentier. The latter is a glass artist from Emporia and the former two are photographers, but all three seem to be masters of provoking the doubletake that causes you to see an old thing -- a familiar building, a wooden ship, an entomological form -- in a new light. The works of all three are excellent examples of Eliot's dictum that the "goal of all our exploring" will be to "arrive where we started/And know the place for the first time." 

Stemm has a particular eye for majestic outdoor shots, as in Yosemite Tunnel View:

​​All told, the three artists whose work is showing through January 6 excel in a unifying way: by making us sit up a bit straighter, wondering how you had missed what they are making so very clear right now. It's a tough balancing act for an artist, placing the mundane in an entirely new context and framework, and all three handle it skillfully. Please visit this excellent collection soon!