By Margreth Downing

Autumn Art Market has something for everyone from small stuff like Jilek’s rock paintings to Pruchnofski’s atmospheric oils. It follows a fall theme in color and subject.

Participating artists include: Judy O Neil, Sophia Koch, Jeanne Krause, Carole Lundell, Lillian Kroening, Carol Pruchnofski and Sally Jilek. The opening for Autumn Art Market occurred Sunday, Oct. 6 with music provided by Matt Sharp.  

Biggest color splashes belong to Judy O’Neil’s acrylic paintings that literally glow in the northeast corner of the gallery. The quieter moods belong to Carole Lundell’s meditative acrylics on the east wall. Lundell’s are take-me-home and live-with-me kind of themes desirable for living spaces.

Lillian Kroening of Whimsical Paintbrush studio features alcohol ink tiles and woodland spaces full of bunnies, mushrooms, friendly hedgehogs and well-dressed frogs.

If you have not had an opportunity to see Carol Nelson Pruchnofski’s oil paintings, give yourself gallery time and get an eyeful. They are so well done that you might want to hire Carole as a mentor if you’re interested in oil painting.

Located on a table in the center of the gallery Jeanna Krause’s work advertises pet portraits. Available in both hard and soft cover, Parker’s Pumpkin is a book Jeanna has illustrated that would make a great gift. Jeanna sells a lot of pet portraits in prints.

In the far corner hushed voices say the name Baba Yaga. If you don’t know who Baba Yaga is, read Russian Fairy Tales. Her hut moves around on two chicken legs and can follow you through the forest.   Sophia Koch’s work is all graphically painted with a computer program. Everything this artist displays here with one notable exception is a print. Koch’s prints are $25. If you want them framed, they’re $60. The exception is a hand embroidered Baba Yaga Hut on the back of a denim jacket that sells for $800.

Artist’s prints are the best deal at this Art’s House show. You can buy a Pruchnofski black and white print for as low as $15, though most prints run about $25-30. Artist cards run $3-6.50 and $1,650 is the highest priced painting, while Jilek’s mini canvases are priced at $15 (both are exceptional deals). Take care not to overlook Jilek’s little canvases, painted wood blocks and rocks. They are labor intensive while inexpensive.

One last glimpse of the Autumn Art Market has to include The 1919 Packer Football Team by Leslie Batt-Lutz. You’ll find this large acrylic out in the store front window.

The Art’s House is located at Main and Maple in the heart of River Falls. It is open 2-6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, then 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Stop by for enlightenment.