Ephemeral by Nikki Ponce is a collection of distinctly styled paintings on display at the FMAAA Art Center, located at 825 Avenue G in Fort Madison, for the month of June. This exhibition opens from 5pm to 7pm on Thursday, June 5, 2025. Everyone is welcome to come meet the artist and take in Ephemeral, a bold and happy reflection of the artistic freedom she takes with blind contour lines. Blind contours are a common teaching technique in foundational art classes where the artist lays down lines without looking at them – with eyes tracing the contours of subject and not looking at the canvas. Ponce builds on the bold illustrative lines she initially puts down, layering them with paint to establish background and subject. “Some areas get drips, some get covered, gold leaf is added, but the bold lines always come through,” says Ponce. She continues, “The idea of mark making is strong and I encourage my students and people I know to make a mark. What is that mark to someone who is not an artist? That is the mark of handwriting. The past generations wrote much more than the current generation and the idea of making a mark is almost foreign to some people. Just like handwriting my blind contour lines are my own, it is my signature, and I have come to love the freedom in this style of art.” She loves the bold lines and bold colors in her paintings that reinforce her printmaking background. Ephemeral is distinctly Ponce’s own reflection and offers a strong artistic signature. Her work is on display at the FMAAA Art Center for the month of June through Friday, June 27. Ponce is a lively speaker and will be on hand during Lunch ala Art at noon on June 27 for a gallery talk about her work. Reservations are required for the luncheon which costs $10. The gallery talk begins at 12:30pm and is free to attend. The Fort Madison Area Arts Association (FMAAA) Board is the sponsor of this month’s art exhibition.