Nancy Shutt, October Featured Artist

They Talk by Cell Phone, mixed media.
The artist being featured at the Ouachita River Art Gallery during the month of October is Nancy Shutt of Monroe, Louisiana, who is originally from Montana. Nancy holds a BFA from Louisiana Tech in Interior Design. She has won several awards in area shows and is a charter member of the Ouachita River Art Gallery. Nancy is also the president of River Cities Art Association.

Always one to try new mediums, for this show Nancy is painting figures in abstract backgrounds on gold gesso with gouache, an opaque watercolor. The gesso is very forgiving so changes can easily be made during the painting process. It is the back and forth of “try this, try that” which makes the process fun. However, before the fun of painting begins, she must figure the problem-solving aspect of art and feels this needs to be the curriculum in all schools along with basic subjects. Art enables students learn to problem-solve.

Nancy says: “Growing up in Montana, I was fortunate to be introduced to two fine western artists. Leroy Greene, a family friend, was well known for his western landscapes and Indian portraits. Clyde Aspevig,a realistic landscape painter, lived across the street from my parents at one time. Exposure to fine art gave me an appreciation for and a desire to pursue art throughout my life.”

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, invites you to come see this special show of Nancy’s work during the entire month of October. When you shop at your local gallery, you not only help our economy by keeping your money in the area, you also save on taxes and shipping. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Paintings and photographs by gallery members can also be seen at ORAG’s extension gallery located in the lobby of Ouachita Independent Bank/Bankers Mortgage Plaza at 18th and Louisville in Monroe. Call 322-2380 for more information.

September Featured Artist - Linda Snider Ward

Dancing to a Silent Tune, oil on canvas.

Linda Snider Ward is Ouachita River Art Gallery’s Featured Artist for the month of September, 2011. Her exhibit, For the Love of Horses & all Creatures, is a new series of oil paintings created specifically for this exhibition. "The title of the show reflects not only the subject matter of my blog, my website, and my Etsy shop but also my booth at the New Orleans Arts Market each month."

      "The majority of works in this show are painted ala prima, painted in one sitting. I enjoy working small and quickly. It’s a challenge to me to complete a painting in one sitting, to see the final results in just a few hours. As I work, I try to stay as loose as possible, painting shapes and values and trying not to “fuss” too much over certain areas. My palette is limited and includes only two reds, two yellows, two blues, and white. I mix all of my earth tones, blacks, and neutrals."

     "It is only recently that I’ve begun to paint what I truly love, animals. I have loved animals all of my life, especially horses. This love, I’m sure, came from my father who was a veterinarian. He taught me to love and respect animals. He also taught me how to draw at a very young age. My father drew animals very well, and I would sit on his lap and beg him to “draw a horse…draw a pig…draw a dog.” He would draw, and I would labor over copying the drawing exactly as he had drawn it. For the Love of Horses & all Creatures is dedicated to my late father Dr. George Thomas, Jr., whose compassion for all creatures (human too) influenced my art and my life."

Linda Snider Ward holds a Master of Fine Arts (drawing and painting) from Louisiana Tech University and a Master of Art (English/creative writing) from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Linda is a member of Daily Paint Works, the Colored Pencil Society of America, and the Eye Twenty Group.

September Featured Artist - Linda Snider Ward

Toodles, an 8" x 8" oil painting on gallery-wrapped canvas.