The unpredictable nature of water media fused with powerful design principles will be featured at the Beréskin Fine Art Gallery & Studio during the month of July, with an exhibit of local artist Robert Zeidler's transparent watercolor paintings. Bob has worked in the graphic arts field and advertising for over 40 years and you can definitely see the influence in his paintings. Because of that background, his style translates well into the transparent watercolor medium, with emphasis on simplified, bold, colorful shapes.

As an example, he chooses one painting in the collection to showcase his process. Included are a black & white compositional sketch, a quick gestural thumbnail, several "warm-up" paintings, and then the finished piece where it all comes together in a semi-abstract style. It's interesting to understand his methodology and how he manages to "loosen up before the performance" as he puts it.

About his color choices, Zeidler says, "I don't really think about it much." Interesting, since they are unusual and hard to describe. He goes on, "If my composition is strong and the values are arranged correctly, I can use about any color I want. Sometimes I use only two colors; other times I use them all. That's half the fun of watercolor. Since the paint is fluid, it creates new colors on its own; colors that I could never mix or even imagine left to my own devices. This helps keep the painting fresh and interesting, as well as allowing the viewer to see something new each time."

Robert Zeidler lives in Davenport, Iowa, and is a signature member of the Iowa Watercolor Society. He's had paintings accepted in national juried competitions, and received many awards.

The Beréskin Fine Art Gallery & Studio is located in the Bucktown Center for the Arts, 225 East 2nd Street, Suite 104, in Davenport, Iowa, and is open Wednesday through Saturday, from 11am to 6 pm; open until 9 pm every Final Friday. For additional information contact Gallery Director Pat Bereskin, bereskinartgallery@gmail.com or at www.bereskinartgallery.com Telephone is 563-508-4630.

AMES, IA (06/01/2015)(readMedia)-- Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and the Iowa Department of Transportation selected students of the Iowa State University Associated General Contractors (AGC) chapter to receive the Group Governor's Volunteer Award. They will be honored at a recognition ceremony June 8 at Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa.

The following local students are among several Iowa State engineering students selected by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and the Iowa Department of Transportation to receive the Group Governor's Volunteer Award.

Nicholas O'Brien of Moline and Marcelious Wyatt of Rock Island.

Andy Reynolds, a spring 2015 construction engineering graduate, is the outgoing president of ISU's AGC chapter and facilitated the group's community service projects in the 2013-2014 academic year. "It is an honor to receive this award not only for the acknowledgement of our service efforts, but also for the advancement of the people and organizations we serve," Reynolds said.

Since 2012, the ISU's AGC chapter has partnered with Appalachian Service Project to rebuild houses in flood-damaged Johnson City, Tennessee. In the last several years, ISU-AGC also rebuilt homes in Joplin, Missouri; Moore, Oklahoma; the Mississippi Gulf Coast; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Throughout the years, hundreds of students have spent spring break and thanksgiving break applying teamwork and construction engineering solutions to rebuilding some of America's devastated communities.

A video recap of the group's most recent trip can be seen on YouTube.

When they don't road-trip to building sites, ISU-AGC students contribute to local community organizations, such as the Mary Greeley Medical Center, Boys & Girls Club of Story County and Ames Community School District. "We have been fortunate to have, year after year, generous, committed and energetic students involved with this organization," Reynolds said. "Service is at the core of ISU-AGC."

The Governor's Volunteer Awards program was created in 1982 with inaugural awards presented in 1983. The program has grown from being only available to state agencies to its present function of providing all Iowa nonprofit, charitable and government organizations with a non-competitive, easy and low-cost way to honor local volunteers with a prestigious state-level recognition award. The program is coordinated by the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, which is responsible for planning, development and improvement of the awards nomination process, guidelines and procedures.