Finding Joy in the Canvas: The Art of Ken Mealhow
Ken Mealhow sits in front of his paintings hanging in the entryway at Winding Creek Meadows in Jesup, Iowa.
At Winding Creek Meadows Assisted Living in Jesup, Iowa, the hallways are brightened by the artwork of resident Ken Mealhow, whose acrylic paintings bring color, texture, and personality to the community. His journey into art began unexpectedly at his 10-year high school reunion, when a classmate showed him a painting he had created. “You can do that,” the friend told him. Ken wasn’t so sure, but he accepted the invitation to stop by after work and learn more.
That visit changed everything. His friend even showed him how to build an easel, which Ken went home and made himself. Before long, he was painting late into the night. “My wife would go to bed and I’d say, ‘I’ll see you later,’” he recalls with a laugh. “Sometimes I’d paint until midnight.”
“My wife would go to bed and I’d say, ‘I’ll see you later,’” he recalls with a laugh. “Sometimes I’d paint until midnight.”
Ken painted from the late 1960s through the mid-1990s, working exclusively with acrylics and drawing inspiration from magazine photos, everyday scenes, and whatever sparked his imagination. His subjects range widely: birds, gardens, portraits, landscapes, and a memorable image he calls “the boy in the wheat field.”
Four of his favorite pieces hang in his apartment today. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren treasure them, too. Ken once asked what they planned to do with his paintings someday. “Don’t worry about it, Grandpa,” they told him. “When you’re gone, we’ll fight over them.”
Though he doesn’t paint much anymore, Ken is proud to see his work displayed throughout Winding Creek Meadows. His creativity continues to add warmth, beauty, and a sense of story to the place he now calls home; a reminder that sometimes, all it takes is one encouraging voice to help an artist emerge.
