The Back Yard

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The Back Yard Small town Art Gallery & Hangout. Home of Steeped & Stirred☕️+🍸. Collins, IA. Rotating Iowa-only-artists art gallery 🖼️
Th- 9a-2p
F- 9a-2p
Sa- 10a-9p
Su- Noon-5p
(1)

10/12/2026

I’ve had this idea for a soft, blurry, almost dreamlike garden floating around in my head for quite a while. But actually putting it on canvas? That was a little intimidating.

I’m comfortable painting flowers. I know how to build them, layer them, and bring them into focus. But learning when to STOP adding detail? That’s an entirely different skill. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’ve been wanting to explore more landscapes and atmospheric pieces, and this collection has given me the perfect excuse to start experimenting.

This little chaos garden took me about 2 hours, a fair amount of second-guessing, and several moments of wondering whether I was completely ruining it.

But you know what? I LOVE how it turned out.

More importantly, I love that I tried something I wasn’t entirely sure I could pull off. I don’t want to spend my entire art career painting only the things I already know how to paint. I want to experiment, get frustrated, figure things out, and occasionally surprise myself.

Anyway, here’s to getting the ideas out of our heads and into the world. Even when they’re a little uncomfortable. ✨

One more piece for the new collection! (Four more to go…I think 😆🤦🏼‍♀️)

10/12/2026

Thank you Collins-Maxwell Community School District for including The Back Yard 🫶✨

10/12/2026

Thank you to the staff of Collins-Maxwell CSD for being such good sports for this Amazing Race activity. 🎨

Seemed like a fun professional development day to me!

Thank you for choosing Collins businesses to be involved 🫶🫶 we truly appreciate the opportunity!

10/11/2026

14 pumpkins painted (and 10 or so rocks 😆🤷🏼‍♀️). A whole lot of creativity. And another afternoon that reminded me why I love doing this. 🎃🎨

One of the things I’ve learned about building a business in a tiny town is that success doesn’t always look like a packed house.

Sometimes it looks like a handful of families gathered around tables, kids proudly showing off their creations, and people taking a little time out of their weekend to do something fun together. Honestly, I think that’s pretty special.

I want The Back Yard to be a place where people can come to create, connect, and enjoy the little things. A place where there’s always something interesting happening, even in a town of fewer than 500 people.

Yesterday felt like another little piece of that vision coming to life. Thank you to everyone who joined us for our second annual Pumpkin Painting! 🎃

Here’s to making this a fall tradition for years to come. ✨

Today’s the day! Pumpkin Painting at The Back Yard from 3-7p$10 gets your choice of pumpkin and all the supplies you nee...
10/10/2026

Today’s the day! Pumpkin Painting at The Back Yard from 3-7p

$10 gets your choice of pumpkin and all the supplies you need to paint your creative vision 🎨

No rules. No instruction. No experience necessary. No pressure to make something perfect. Come hang out and let your creativity shine!✨

This event is for all ages, so bring the kids, bring your friends, or come paint a pumpkin for yourself!

We’ll have all of our tasty drinks available as well as our legendary paninis and grilled cheese 🤤

Can’t wait to hang out 🫶

Sometimes, a painting becomes about more than the flowers.September was a tough month for Iowa growers. Rain, rain, and ...
10/09/2026

Sometimes, a painting becomes about more than the flowers.

September was a tough month for Iowa growers. Rain, rain, and more rain. Hardly any sunshine. Crops suffering. And for our local flower farmers, a whole lot of hard work at the mercy of Mother Nature.

My friend Tyler owns Peacock House Flowers outside of Williams, Iowa, and she grows some of the most BEAUTIFUL flowers. Tyler Burton

For my final 8x10 painting in this collection, I took inspiration from a couple of bouquets she put together.

I’ve avoided painting dahlias for quite some time. All those intricate petals have always intimidated me a little. But the pinks, the burgundies, the cosmos, the Queen Anne’s lace? I couldn’t resist.

So today, while I was open, I painted. No process footage. No timelapse. Just me, my brushes, and a couple of photos of flowers grown by a friend.

When I finished, I sent Tyler a picture.

Her response made taking a stab at the scary dahlias all worth it and then some.

She told me how discouraging the last couple of weeks had been, flower-wise, and how much it meant to see something she’d grown appreciated in this way.

Those flowers represent months of planning, planting, tending, and caring. Early mornings, long days, unpredictable weather, and a whole lot of hope. Even after a growing season that hasn’t been particularly kind, she still managed to create something absolutely beautiful.

Now, a little piece of that beauty gets to live on long after the flowers themselves are gone. I think that’s one of my favorite things about art. It allows us to see, celebrate, and preserve the beauty in someone else’s work.

So here’s to the farmers, the growers, the makers, and the artists who keep showing up and creating, even when things don’t go according to plan. And here’s to supporting the people in our own communities who make the world a little more beautiful.

Tyler, thank you for the inspiration. And please keep growing those dahlias. I promise, I’ll paint more of them. 🫶✨

10/09/2026

🎃 PUMPKIN PAINTING IS TOMORROW! 🎨🍂

Looking for a fun, family-friendly way to spend your Saturday? Come get creative with us at The Back Yard!

Here’s how it works:

🎃 $10 per pumpkin. Pick your favorite from our available selection!

🎨 We provide the supplies! Paint, brushes, and everything you need to create your masterpiece.

🖌️ No instruction, no rules! This is a self-guided activity, so you can paint whatever your heart desires.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 ALL ages welcome! Bring the kiddos, make it a family outing, plan a little fall date, or grab your friends for a creative afternoon.

And don’t worry, you don’t have to be an artist to have a great time! That’s kind of the whole point. ❤️

We’ll have coffee, cocktails, and other drinks available for purchase while you paint, as well as our delicious paninis and grilled cheese (while supplies last)! ☕🍹🥪

Tag someone you’d love to paint pumpkins with, and we’ll see you TOMORROW! 🎃🍁

Address

222 Main Street
Collins, IA
50055

Opening Hours

Thursday 9am - 2pm
Friday 9am - 2pm
Saturday 10am - 9pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+15156867505

Website

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