The iconic imagery of Gordon Kellenberger presents the Iowa landscape and its architecture in uniquely stylized imagery that mirrors his own thoughts and feelings. A fourth generation native of Amana, Iowa, Kellenberger exaggerates color and simplifies form to distil a simple, yet profound evocation of rural Iowa.

Kellenberger graduated from the University of Northern Iowa and devoted
himself to teaching art in his native Amana. Actively involved in his community, he founded the Amana Arts Guild, and was instrumental in creating a regular schedule of studio classes offered to the public for pleasure and education certification. Additionally, Gordon and his wife Deanna maintain their painting and  pottery studios in their home in High Amana.

In the early 1990's, while Kellenberger was still responsible for a very busy schedule of teaching, he was introduced to the medium of pastels.  The artist enjoyed the directness of the material as well as the richness of color that he was able to achieve with its use.  When he retired from teaching in 1998, Kellenberger made the commitment to being a "working artist" using pastels almost exclusively for his paintings. His success with this move can be tracked in ten years of exploring the Iowa landscape in his drawings of its architecture, fields, hills and skies.

When asked about other artists from whom he derives inspiration, Gordon freely admits an admiration for Grant Wood, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Edward Hopper. At the same time, the Gordon has undeniably forged his own drawing manner which describes a closely observed Iowan way-of-life.