Dena Tollefson Art

09/04/2026

Thank you Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and Grant Wood Studio 💕💕🥰

Coming up soon! "Elemental: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire" temporary exhibition.
April 18, 2026 – March 14, 2027
The four elements—earth, water, air, and fire—have influenced culture, science, and art for centuries. This exhibition explores how these elements appear in works from the permanent collection of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. They are elements that make up the world around us, and thus, also play a huge role in many works of art. Together, these artworks demonstrate the continued power of the natural world in art.



Image Caption: Dena Tollefson, Una Vision Asentada en el Alma, 2010, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 ¼ inches, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, museum purchase, Bertha Cowles Quarton Fund, 2011.047.

12/02/2025

Dena Tollefson, Captain of Her Heart, 2025, Acrylic on Canvas,
6 x 8 x 1.50 in. Her "Daubism" body of work at Canyon Road Contemporary Art is a unique process she developed, where "daubs" of individually mixed oil paint are applied with a palette knife. Captain of Her Heart, 2025 Acrylic on Canvas. https://insidesantafe.com/business/canyon-road-contemporary-art/

13/05/2024

My painting “Rainy Days and Sundays” on the wall at Canyon Road Contemporary Art 🥰🥰🥰 in historic Santa Fe, New Mexico

Rainy Days And Mondays by Dena Tollefson

18/04/2024

My painting “Float On”, inspired by the song 🎵 by the same title hanging on the wall at Canyon Road Contemporary Art, the fantastic gallery who represents my originals in historic Santa Fe, New Mexico

Float On by Dena Tollefson

20/03/2024

My painting on the wall at Canyon Road Contemporary Art, the fabulous gallery who represents my originals in historic Santa Fe, New Mexico

Color My World by Dena Tollefson

11/02/2024

Thank you to all my friends 🥰 and relatives 🥰 who attended the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art's opening of "Land/Scape: Climate, the Environment, and Beyond, An All- Iowa Juried Exhibition" and "Ravenous: Food in Art" both curated by CRMA curator Julia Jessen.

Pictured here is my brother Jeffrey Schaefer, sister in law Kristin Schaefer, and me in front of my Daubism birch tree painting "The Lyrical Garden" on loan to the museum for the Land/Scape exhibit.

Second photo with me are my friends Janna Dierks and Mark Dierks next to my Corn Series painting "The Seduction of Samson" which the museum owns in their permanent collection. It is hanging for the "Ravenous: Food in Art" exhibit.

Third photo standing with me are my niece Katie Walton and her boyfriend Josh Belden next to "Seduction of Samson"

It was a great night and I am so grateful.

05/02/2024

Join me this Thursday, February 8th 5:00PM-6:60PM at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art for the opening reception for "Land/Scape: Climate, the Environment, and Beyond"

My painting, "The Lyrical Garden" will be on exhibit at the museum.

Thank you to Cedar Rapids Museum of Art curator Julia Jessen for selecting my work for this all Iowa group exhibition.

The exhibit runs until May 19th, 2024. I hope to see you there!!

04/01/2024

My painting „Rainy Days and Sundays“ on the gallery wall at Canyon Road Contemporary Art the wonderful gallery who represents my originals in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico.
I have always loved The Carpenters‘ music, this painting is inspired by the song.

Rainy Days And Mondays by Dena Tollefson

01/12/2023

Painting with a spoon! I hope you enjoy this video. The technique you see here is called Daubism. 🥰

19/11/2023

Hi my dear art friends!!! Here is the link for the new group art challenge and You are Invited to participate! Click on the photo here to watch the video with all the details for the Holiday Art Challenge.
https://youtu.be/BTfr_AkuxMI
For those of you who are members of my Dena Tollefson Patreon Art Club, members can just take a photo of your completed artwork and post it on our Dena Tollefson Art Club Patreon Only page. Easy as pie! Because you are a Patreon Art Club member, you won't have to create a complicated YouTube video in order to participate. A simple photo posted to Facebook and you are part of the challenge group! I can't wait to see what you will create for the challenge!!

Hi Art Family! Yeay! It’s time for a new Art Challenge and You are Invited to participate!It’s Dena Tollefson and I am so glad you are here. In today's video...

04/11/2023

We had a fantastic time at the fall paint and sculpt out!! Thank you to Nancy and her team at Canyon Road Contemporary Art in Santa Fe for a wonderful event.
Pictured left to right: clay sculptor Kari Rives, beaded skulls Ali Rouse, painter Dena Tollefson, painter Gina Rossi, fused glass artist Doug Gillis, painter Mary Leslie, bronze sculptor Adam Schultz, bronze sculptor Lorri Acott, painter Nathan Aufrichtig, fused glass artist Lydia Piper. Photo courtesy Nancy Ouimet