What: Catherine Jones Davies: “Farms, Faces and Figures”

Where: Pioneer Room, Memorial Union

When: Daily, through November 14

Cost: Free

Although Catherine Jones Davies lived in Europe for 15 years, it was not the continent’s art-rich history that inspired her as an artist. When she returned to the United States, she was struck by the subtle beauty of Midwestern farmlands.

“The land is one of our last great natural resources. It is a hidden treasure,” Jones Davies says.

Her inspiration may seem unconventional, but to Jones Davies, the endless sprawl of Midwestern cornfields holds more than aesthetic appeal.

She grew up in South Dakota, spending time at her grandmother’s old, white farmhouse. It was those experiences that moved her to search for the same thing when she came back to the United States.

“I discovered Iowa was full of grandmas’ white farmhouses,” she says.

Jones Davies has always loved the land, and moving to Iowa and living in her own old, white farmhouse has always been one of her dreams, she says. She now balances her time teaching at Kirkwood Community College and painting. The inspiration for her work and her exhibit “Farms, Faces and Figures,” comes directly from her own experiences. She says she spends time with her neighbors and the local farmers, whom she calls “wonderful.” They have immersed her in their culture giving her the opportunity to see it up close and firsthand, she says.

“Tractor rides are nice – I get to see the land in a new way,” she says of the rides her neighbors give to her.

To her, the land has a subtle beauty, which she says is like a “wonderful musical chord.”

As many artists must do, she has spent her life between creating her own art and teaching art.

“Being an artist and supporting yourself are two different things,” she says.

She says she did not always think of herself as a true artist, despite the fact she was teaching the subject. Jones Davies was first trained as a photographer, which she credits for establishing part of her talents as a painter.

“Photography taught me to see,” she says.

It was through different art media that she developed her painting technique. Experimenting with watercolors helped her with brush technique, and pastels helped her develop color. It wasn’t until she was standing in a long line at a store in Europe, out of “sheer boredom,” that she decided to pick up an oil paint set.

As a result she has had her work showcased in many art shows throughout Europe and America. While living in Germany, she was the only American chosen for the Sickingen Kunstpreis. She was also selected for the 100th Anniversary Exhibition of the Salon Des Independants in Paris.

Jones Davies was most recently selected for a biographical entry in the publication “Who’s Who of American Women,” 2000-2001.

Although her accolades may be great, she says she is content with the idea of the rural lifestyle she has built around herself and the art that has come with it.

“There is something about when land meets the sky without human interaction,” she says. “It makes my heart happy.”