Isabel Rose Scherer was born in Galveston, Texas on Feb. 20, 1908 and raised in Davenport, Iowa. Her artistic life began early.

As a young girl, Isabel fashioned small animals from clay dug along the banks of the Mississippi River and baked in the family hearth. Later, she received daily art lessons at Davenport's Immaculate Conception Academy, followed by further training at the Vogue School of Fashion and Design. Later still, Isabel attended the Chicago Art Institute.

In the early 1930's Isabel attended Grant Wood's Stone City Art Colony in central Iowa, learning to carve limestone sculpture.

You can see Wood's regionalist influence in the artwork of both Isabel and her protege, Donna Young. Crafted from the locally-available materials of concrete and river stone, Isabel Bloom figurines reflect inspiration from the artists' own backyards. Children playing and exploring. Pets lounging. Snowmen standing stout against the Midwest's winter cold.

Today the creation of Isabel Bloom figurines rests in the talented hands of artist Donna Young. Working with skillful Bloom artisans to handcraft this unique collection of concrete sculpture, Donna has helped preserve the iconic style that survived Isabel's passing in 2001.

We invite you to learn more about our history and the unique process we use to create our handcrafted sculptures.