November Artist of the Month

Life-long resident of Monroe, Louisiana, Rusty Patterson,developed a fascination for wood in the early 1980’s after a brief conversation with his now deceased grandfather. With his grandfather’s words of wisdom and encouragement, the journey began.

This self taught wood turner traveled throughout the South from the early 1980’s thru the early 1990’s participating in various art shows where he won numerous “Best of Show” and monetary awards for his works. Early works of his can be seen in museums such as the Fine Arts Museum in Mobile, Alabama, and the Synder Museum in Bastrop, Louisiana.
After a fifteen year hiatus that was spent focusing on career and family, Rusty has returned to wood working with a renewed passion, vision, and inspiration for the art he loves so much. He focuses on creating one of a kind art, allowing each piece to take shape as its being turned. Two basic principles govern each of his pieces: shape (small, medium, and large) and wood selection (light, medium, and dark). His pieces are formed using native American hardwoods mixed with exotic woods from all over the world. He even turns burls.

Rusty says, “I am a firm believer that Art would not be Art without admiration. Any medium can become a work of art when placed in an artist’s hands. Wood is my medium of choice. I’m fascinated by the vision I have for taking a piece of wood and then “seeing” what it can be made into.”

While woodworking is his hobby and passion, Rusty hopes to one day make it his full time career. Until then, he will continue to manage a business, where he has been for twenty-nine years, in West Monroe. He resides in Monroe, Louisiana with his wife, Sandra, and his four children (five if you count the Yorkie).

October Artist of the Month

Photographer Allen Harrison of West Monroe is the featured artist during the month of October at Ouachita River Art Gallery. Allen has been an amateur photographer for many years but never pursued the hobby seriously until he retired, which was about the time he began to explore digital photography. As a free lance photographer, he enjoys capturing images of various people, places, and things and marketing them to the general public.

It’s been said a great photograph is dependent on just two factors: perfect composition and correct lighting. While agreeing with this statement, Allen is also quite aware of how difficult it is to achieve. The dilemma, as he sees it, is that photography is an art form, and thus perfect composition and lighting are highly subjective. Allen thinks a truly great photograph must not only be technically correct; it should also be creative, memorable, and capture the moment.
The subject matter for Allen’s photographs can best be described as “Americana,” or things typical of America. In his world, that broad spectrum includes old trucks, spring flowers, beach scenes, the Colorado Mountains, Arkansas streams, log cabins, fishing camps, wildlife, the New Orleans’ French Quarter, the plains of west Texas, and countless other images found across our beautiful country. He states that he will never run out of subject matter - just the time and energy to capture them.
Over the last five years, several of Allen’s photographs have received public recognition. Two photographs were selected for showing at the opening of the Arender Gallery in Monroe (LA). Another two photographs were selected for the 2008 Masur Museum Juried Competition, one of which was selected Best of Show – Photography. Additional prints have received recognition in other local contests, including the annual Black Bayou photography contest.