I came from Utah, and my mom's roots were with the pioneers in Utah and Idaho, which means some tradition of patchwork, tying and stitching. My mother was a quilter. Yarn, thread, fabric, buttons, that sort of thing was what we had to play with around the house.

A first artistic expression that I remember is that of a woman walking on a November dusk. The air was cold, and our feet were crunching on gravel. She had white hair and a walking cane. The dress had large blue flowers and green leaves on white. her sweater was Kelly green.

In childhood I felt depressed by seeing dull colors, so in this first vision I found enlightenment. With my felt material and my embroidery thread, I seek the spark of a third color in the way the hues play with each other.

My dear association with Madison And Main truly changed my life. I started out not knowing if anyone would care, but I found friendship and support from this worthy crew.

I hope that my pieces transmit a good feeling to the places where they land, whether it be a home or an office, a doorway or a hallway or a kitchen.

My name is Cornelia Davis.

I am an interior designer and local artist born in Communist Romania, a time and place where creativity was systematically repressed to prioritize the mere act of survival. Yet for me, that repression became a strange gift. It taught me to subvert limitations instead of surrendering to them, a lesson that still fuels everything I create today.

Growing up in a small town under authoritarian control, I watched my family and neighbors transform scarcity into resourcefulness. With almost nothing available, we repurposed whatever we could find, inventing and reinventing with fierce ingenuity. Every scrap, every broken object carried hidden potential. That environment, where necessity was the only real luxury, shaped my entire outlook: limitations are not walls; they are invitations to innovate.

My professional background in interior design, combined with those early experiences of communist-era shortage, naturally pushed me toward upcycling and mixed-media art. I specialize in breathing new life into society’s refuse—discarded materials most people overlook—turning them into utilitarian objects and artworks that speak of resilience, transformation, and sustainability.

For me, reuse is far more than an environmental necessity; it is an act of quiet rebellion against a disposable culture. By rescuing what has been cast aside and giving it renewed purpose, I honor the latent stories embedded in every object and reflect the human spirit’s extraordinary capacity to convert hardship into hope.

Today my mission remains the same as it was in childhood: to keep weaving stories from the discarded. Whether I’m designing a sustainable interior or crafting a sculpture from found materials, I want each piece to remind viewers that beauty and meaning can emerge from what others deem worthless.

Through my work, I invite the world to look again—to see possibility where others see waste, strength where others see brokenness, and hope where others see an ending. Because if a little girl in communist Romania could find creativity in scarcity, then surely we can all find it now, in a world that throws away far too much.

Thank you for joining me on this journey where creativity and sustainability are not separate ideas, but two threads of the very same story.

At an early age I showed an interest in art and my Mother bought me drawing books.
It was not until Junior High School that I started becoming more interested in General Art so I took a class which we studied Famous Artists of the past, we learned drawing techniques and pottery. In metal shop I learned how to hammer cooper into shapes as well as silver soldering and some lapidary work, which I made my first ring.
In the late 60's I attended LCCC where I took Auto body and paint class and helped introduced custom painting and airbrush techniques to the curriculum. I custom painted many cars, vans, trucks and motorcycles during my career in Auto body.
In 1994 after the passing of my Parents, I did some soul searching into my Family History, finding that I had some distant Native American Heritage. This brought me to a new direction in my Art work. Learning and studying the different beading techniques in which I have been able to reproduce many items that they used in early life and still do today. Having a love for their music I learned to play the native Flute and I am a flute maker, as well.
Later I started a Career as a Jeweler, repairing and designing jewelry for Customers.
On my own time I started my own line of Southwestern jewelry using Gold & Silver. All jewelry is hand crafted using flat sheet and lost wax casting. Many have semi precious stones that are hand cut and some have inlay.
Recently I have started doing pencil drawing with subjects such as Native American Chiefs and drawings related to Blues music, Cars and other subjects.

The word encaustic (enkaustikos) means ‘to heat or burn in’. It is a process that uses heat to melt beeswax and damar varnish to fuse layers of wax. Brian tends to interact with the surface through a means of gesture and response, a building of layers that transparently reveals what is slightly hidden beneath the surface. Painting with wax is an exercise that allows additive techniques to build texture and subtractive methods like carving or scraping through layers that add dimension to the work.

Brian began working in the encaustic painting medium in the early 90’s. What attracted him to the medium was the diversity of bringing other mediums and processes together, such as image collage, glazing effects, stenciling, assemblage, image transfer and encaustic monotypes printmaking. One medium in particular that takes well to encaustic are alcohol inks with some surprising color effects and transparencies.

In 2018, Brian was awarded an NGAE Fellowship in which he studied Encaustic monotypes with Paula Roland in Sante Fe, NM. He teaches Encaustic Workshops annually at John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, where his students explore encaustic painting on wood panels and paper.

I have always been an artist. According to my parents, I would sit and draw for hours at a time when I was wee. They have scrapbooks full of slice-of-life illustrations with fun titles like "Grouchy Woman Lying in Bed," (my poor Mom with a migraine). I am thankful that my first collectors were also such capable archivists! A few years ago I started playing around with fluid acrylic paint, and have found my happy place. It is color theory, physics, and a mindful immersion in serendipity all rolled into one. Gravity, air, water, and FIRE are the tools I use to move my fluid colors around on canvas! Wild bees are another passion of mine. Did you know that there are an estimated 20,000 different species of bees worldwide, 90% of which are solitary and nest in the ground? Wild bees are actually more effective pollinators than the domesticated honey bee, and are essential components of their ecosystems. In celebration of these biodiversity fact-gems, I hand draw wild bees from macro photos on black paper with colored pencil and paint or gel pen. I love finding funky gold or silver frames in thrift stores and giving them new lives as homes for my bees. I donate 50% of the sale of my work to People and Pollinators Action Network, a Colorado non-profit that works to protect habitat for pollinators. Like many people right now, I am trying to find hope and ways to channel my energy toward raising human awareness about our impact on the natural world. With my wild bee drawings and fluid acrylic paintings, I seek to celebrate the beauty, uniqueness, and inherent value of all life on this goldilocks planet we call home.

Born and raised in Greeley, Colorado, I draw inspiration from the surrounding landscapes—from the eastern plains to the mountain slopes. Exploring my own backyard, local parks, and trails, and following the rivers that connect us, fuels my creativity and passion for art.

At home, I find joy in creating alongside my pet rabbit, who also inspires some of my work. I enjoy collaborating with friends at Wonderhand Print Studios, where we exchange ideas and inspiration. Teaching art one day a week to homeschool K–12 students at a local school ignites my passion for creativity as I witness the unique perspectives of each young artist. Additionally, I work with adults from Envision at the Clay Center, where these artists inspire my authenticity.

As a part-time florist, I am surrounded by a vibrant array of scents, colors, and textures, which I use to craft loving gifts for others. My intention in creating art and floral arrangements is to share love and connection, bringing joy to those who experience my work. Every piece I create is a reflection of my gratitude for the beauty in the world and a celebration of the connections we share.

Look closer and you will see that Gin Leuchter is an artist who loves to work in three dimensions, layering handmade paper and hand-decorated papers into creative, one-of-a-kind landscapes. These landscapes constantly remind her how enjoyable it is to play with paper, experimenting with placing the paper scraps in different formations, moving them around, and looking at the shadows they cast. The way the clouds look as the sun sets and the calm, peaceful beauty of the mountains on a misty morning have inspired countless pieces of art. Her interest in color and texture and her early training as a graphic designer have given her the ability to turn her paper skills into beautiful artwork that is displayed at the Gallery.

A Founding Member of the Madison & Main Gallery, Gin‘s artistic life has been touched by many of the Gallery artists over the years. It is a joy for her to continue to share her love of paper and art with the community.

Emeritus member Susan Nelson has been associated with, and a big fan of, Madison & Main Gallery since its founding. She enjoys the adventure of exploring, learning and working in a variety of media. Photography, collage, pastels, and making paper are among her favorites, and many times she finds ways to use those media together when creating pieces for the gallery.

Hi! I am Julia Rivera. I work with Fused Glass. I started working with glass about 10 years ago. I have an Art degree from the University of Northern Colorado. I started working with glass as a hobby. I have taken many classes to improve my skills. I love working with glass because of the beautiful colors and I love creating different landscapes with glass. I am from Puerto Rico, and I love the ocean and tropical plants. I use those topics as an inspiration for my art. I have lived in Colorado for 35 years. I love the mountains and the aspens. I also use these topics as an inspiration for my art. I love being creative. It keeps me happy and centered!

Doug Wurst showed an interest in the arts before he could walk. While in kindergarten, his tissue paper flowers, sandbox sculptures, and tempera paint pictures were welcome daily fair. In 4th grade, he created miniature swords using straight pins, seed beads, and plastic ribbon, which the enterprising young artist took to school. The swords sold for five cents to his classmates and were quite popular until the day the principal summoned Doug to his office.

The arts remained important to Doug throughout his 45-year teaching career. Known as an innovator in the education field, he taught music and in the regular classroom. His love of the arts led him to incorporate arts into the lessons of all his classes.  When his school needed a teacher to learn sign language to work with hearing-challenged students, he began a lifelong study of sign language.  He introduced his classes to sign language, and his students did choir concerts where students used sign language while singing.

Doug’s  jewelry and elaborate greeting cards are available at the Madison and Main Art Gallery where he is a Sustaining Member. The Gallery has given Doug the opportunity and encouragement to develop and expand his artistic skills. He invites you to view his work, and especially, his newly created altered books.

(Swords are only available by special order.)

Dyana Wyeno graduated from the University of Northern Colorado and enjoys being a part of the artistic community in Greeley, Colorado.  The natural world and the seasons of life inspire her creative works.  She is compelled to reuse single-use products and found items such as plastic, cardboard, wire, paper packaging, upholstery scraps, wood, metal, and glass. These materials are combined and layered with paint, ink, clay, and pastel to create 2-D and 3-D collages, sculptures and dioramas.  Her artwork often reflects nature and tells a story.  Sometimes there are surprises of tiny lights, bells, and bits that glow-in-the-dark hidden in her creations.  She strives to combine the overlapping worlds of industry and nature and hopes to inspire others to create art and tell their own story.

My name is Charlotte Zink.  My partner Ben and I collaborate together as Zink Metal Art. Our home, studio and sculpture garden are located in a 127 year old historic home on Mountain Ave in the heart of old town Berthoud, Colorado.  These small prints represent some of my favorite paintings sold in the past 25 years. Enjoy art everyday! Thanks for your support of local creators.
Check out more of our work at zinkmetalart.com.