Marlen Waters, January 2013 Featured Artist

Marlen Waters – River Gallery Featured Artist January 2013

“Laugh, Love, Letter, & Paint”

In the same vein as the book and movie by Elizabeth Gilbert, “Eat, Pray, Love”, Marlen Waters’ January “Featured Artist” exhibition at the River Gallery in West Monroe, Louisiana,“Laugh, Love, Letter, & Paint” is an exploration of color, spirit, paint and self-discovery using watermedia on paper and canvas.

Born and raised in Homer, La., Marlen Waters graduated from La. Tech University with a M.S. in Medical Technology and a M.B.A. in Marketing. She continued her education studying art and calligraphy at La. Tech University, University of Pennsylvania, Chicago College of Art, St. Johns University, and with various master calligraphers and artists. She is a board member of the North Central Louisiana Arts Council, a charter member of the Piney Hills Art Gallery, a roster artist and a member of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, and was a Louisiana Division of the Arts roster artist. She is a member of the Ouachita River Art Gallery, Lincoln Parish Museum and Beta Sigma Phi.

Marlen says about her work:

“I enjoy color—and lots of it, and the energy that the paint has when it is applied to the paper or canvas. I use latex, inks and acrylic paints on paper and canvas and let the paint tell me what the painting is to become. I also do a combination of calligraphic lettering worked into colorful abstract compositions. I still remember as a small child tracing letters from the covers of magazines, changing them, embellishing them and marveling at how their parts fit together. This fascination with letters, shapes, and colors grew into designing monograms, doing posters for my mom's work, and finally lead into combining my love of color and painting with letters and letter forms. Combining them has given me a chance to touch people who seem to enjoy the inspirational sayings and the play of color and shape. God gives each of us certain talents. Whatever our talents may be, it is our privilege and responsibility to develop and nurture them.”

Marlen has been on the Louisiana Peach Festival Steering Committee for ten years and will be chairing the Arts and Crafts Show again this year. She was the Coordinator of Volunteers, chaired the Gospel and Family Day and has been in charge of the Peach Festival T-shirts and merchandise. She has had two of her designs selected for the Peach Festival poster and three of her designs have been selected for the t-shirts. One of her Peach Festival posters is currently being used in the HBO television show “True Blood”.

She was the Executive Director of the Dixie Center for the Arts in Ruston from the time it opened in January 2006 through 2011. Her art has been accepted into numerous juried shows and she has had several one- woman and shared shows in the region. She is a free-lance calligrapher, graphic designer and artist, and has taught art and calligraphy classes privately and with La. Tech University and Grambling State University Continuing Education.

Marlen is married to Roy Waters, and they live in Ruston, La. and have three children. They attend Trinity United Methodist Church. Her artwork can be viewed on her website www.marlenwaters.com or contact her at marlen@tugmail.net or 318-255-9394.

"The making of artworks is a blessing from God. The sharing of artworks is a gift between humans. Together, they express the ineffable."

You can see Marlen Water’s work at the River Gallery during the month of January. The Ouachita River Art Gallery, voted Best Art Gallery in 2011, is at 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, and is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The gallery is the oldest and largest co-op gallery in the state. Currently boasting 28 artists, you will find everything from paintings of all media, to wood turning, pottery, sketches and jewelry. The gallery is also open during the bi-monthly Downtown Gallery Crawls. Admission is free. Gallery member’s work 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 or visit www.ouachitariverartgallery.com.

Congratulations River Gallery Members!

Congratulations to Marlene Gremillion for displaying her artwork through December at the Mt. Magazine State Park in Arkansas. Congratulations also to Don Hudnall for receiving a first place ribbon for pottery and Charlie Heck for receiving first place ribbon for photography at the Art with a View in Monroe during November (pictured above: Jerry Jones, on left, in front of his paintings at Art with a View). Also, one of Charlie Heck's photographs was accepted into the LA Tech LA Purchase 2nd National Biennial Juried Exhibition. Congratulations to all our wonderful, creative members!

Welcome New Member!

A big welcome to new and returning member Sue Abbott!

T.A. Roberts, Artist-of-the-Month

The featured artist for November at The River Gallery is T. A. Roberts of Grayson, Louisiana. T. A. was raised in the small sawmill town of Clarks, La and learned  from the local residents to be industrious and ingenious, making needed household items when possible. Lumber was plentiful and inexpensive and everyone had woodworking tools and basic carpentry skills. As his furniture making skills improved and better equipment became available, his interest expanded to include woodturning on the lathe. Retired from his own oil business, T.A. holds a Masters in History, reached the rank of Captain in the U. S. Army and has studied with well known woodworkers. He attended woodturning classes at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg, TN. and went to Provo, Utah for further woodturning studies.
 
“In woodturning your only limiting factor is your imagination and the size of your woodturning blank.” T.A. says. “I generally begin with an idea of what the finished result will be, but sometimes it changes during the turning process. God has created a multitude of beautiful woods. Every piece is different, making working with it a challenge. I strive to enhance the intrinsic beauty of the wood in a form which is pleasing to the eye.”

You can see T.A. Robert’s work at the River Gallery during the month of November. The Ouachita River Art Gallery, voted Best Art Gallery in 2011, is at 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, and is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The gallery is the oldest and largest co-op gallery in the state. Currently boasting 29 artists, you will find everything from paintings of all media, to wood turning, pottery, glass art, pencil sketches and jewelry. The gallery is also open during the bi-monthly Downtown Gallery Crawls. Admission is free. Gallery member’s work 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 or visit www.ouachitariverartgallery.com.

Phoebe Allen Mathys, Featured Artist of the Month

On Thursday, October 4 the gallery will have singer/songwriter Amanda McDowell performing during the Downtown Gallery Crawl from 5-9pm. As one of the top 1,000 Indy (Independent) Singer/Songwriters in the U.S., Amanda has received national radio play through other artists for songs "Plant the Seed" and "Daddy Was a Texas Ranger. She’s been involved with for organizations such as "Champions for Life," the largest evangelistic prison ministry in the world, Wildflower Festival, Oceanside Fest, Celebrate Recovery, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Stonecroft Ministries. She just finished her 4th album and 14 of her original songs have been recorded by other artists.

And in conjunction with the October 4 Gallery Crawl, there will be a reception for The River Gallery’s featured artist for October- Phoebe Allen Mathys. Her show,"Garden Essences And Other Enigmas", is based on images from Phoebe’s sketch books. Painting primarily in water media, Phoebe’s love of color and playful nature is obvious to anyone viewing her work. Phoebe is a native of north Louisiana and earned her B.A. and M.A. in Art Education with additional hours in Fine Arts. She taught 33 years at Louisiana Tech in the School of Art and the School of Architecture in areas of basic two-dimensional design, color theory and advanced media and presentation techniques. She has exhibited in over a hundred juried and invitational exhibitions as well as many local, regional and national art exhibitions. Phoebe has received many honors for both her teaching skills and her fine art work and has been published in several volumes and articles.

 

The River Art Gallery, voted Best Art Gallery in 2011, is at 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, and is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The gallery is the oldest and largest co-op gallery in the state. Currently boasting 29 artists, you will find everything from paintings of all media, to wood turning, pottery, glass art, photography, pencil sketches and jewelry. The gallery is also open during the bi-monthly Downtown Gallery Crawls. Admission is free. Gallery member’s work 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 or visit www.ouachitariverartgallery.com.

Phoebe Allen Mathys, October Featured Artist

Brenda McDaniel, September 2012 Featured Artist

Cypress Choir by Brenda McDaniel

Brenda Clark McDaniel of Monroe, Louisiana is the Ouachita River Art Gallery’s featured artist in September.  Her show, “For The Love Of Cypress”, will consist of oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor paintings depicting her interpretation of Louisiana’s cypress trees, found mostly in her own “back yard”.

     Brenda says about her show, “This show was inspired by the beauty I see in the swamps of Louisiana, especially the wonderful diversity of our cypress trees. Nothing is as lovely as our moisture laden air reflecting light on and through magnificent cypresses. They absolutely “drip” from their wonderful pleated trunks, and in the fall are just vivid with color. I never tire of painting them.”

     A native of Mer Rouge, Louisiana, who has also lived in Kentucky, Kansas, Texas, Europe and the U.K. (where her son and grandchildren live), Brenda specializes in representational paintings of animals, people, places and objects, taking side trips into fantasy and imagination. Before deciding to paint full time, Brenda was a commercial artist employed in the advertising business, where she garnered many local as well as national awards. Although she attended several universities and private schools around the U.S., she considers herself primarily a self-taught artist. She helped organize and open the local gallery of The Ouachita River Art Guild, which is now celebrating 22 years, and has become the oldest and largest art co-op in Louisiana. Brenda has many commissions of homes, portraits of people and pets, southern landscapes and still lifes hanging in private and corporate collections in the U.S.A., Europe and The United Kingdom.

       The River Art Gallery, voted Best Art Gallery in 2011, is at 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, and is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The gallery is the oldest and largest co-op gallery in the state. Currently boasting 29 artists, you will find everything from paintings of all media, to wood turning, pottery, glass art, photography, pencil sketches and jewelry. The gallery is also open during the bi-monthly Downtown Gallery Crawls. Admission is free. Gallery member’s work 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 or visit www.ouachitariverartgallery.com.

 

Carol Smith, featured Artist-of-the-Month, August 2012

The River Gallery Features Carol Smith for August 2012. The River Gallery will be holding an opening reception for Carol Smith in conjunction with the Downtown Gallery Crawl, Thursday August 2 from
5-9pm. In addition to Carol's new work, the gallery will have new creations from over 28 of its members that include pottery, wood turning, jewelry, photography, glass art as well as paintings.

Carol Culpepper Smith is a charter member of the Ouachita River Art Gallery. Her show, entitled “A Walk in the Woods," will feature scenes that “nourish my soul,"creeks, waterfalls, old structures, autumn color in the woods.  Inspired by hikes around her vacation home, Carol has tried to capture that sense of fresh air and new perspective, the beauty God created for our enjoyment, and share it with her viewers. She hopes you will join her on her “Walk in the woods.”

Not new to the art scene in Monroe, Carol continues to quietly hone her skills as an oil painter through regular art classes and workshops that stretch her thinking and execution of her talents.  Known primarily for her oil florals on paper with emphasis on light and shadow, she uses a colorful palette in this landscape exhibit to display “the colorist within."

Having been a member of the gallery for 22 years, Carol has served in every level of leadership there.  Currently, she chairs the extension gallery exhibit at the Bankers Mortgage Center offices on 18th Street
in Monroe. “It is exciting that we now have two galleries art patrons can choose from, one on each side of the River which gave us our name. It is gratifying to have seen our organization grow in artistic
quality and diversity through the years.”

The River Gallery in West Monroe, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m.  to 5 p.m. Admission is always free. When you shop at your local gallery, you not only help our area economy by keeping your
money in the locally, you also save on sales taxes and shipping. 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.

Emily Brodnax - Featured Artist-of-the-Month

Consider the word “retire,” because after 45 years, that is what this
local pharmacist/ photographer has gotten to do.  For Emily Brodnax, the past 18 months have been spent traveling around several states doing what she loves the most: shooting with her heavy Hasselblad camera and tripod. Emily is still using a wet darkroom to produce gelatin silver photographs, and as long as supplies are available, she will continue the process.
     As the July Featured Artist at the Ouachita River Art Galley, she has put together an eclectic collection of recent travel pictures that everyone can enjoy.  There is a 100 year old oak tree, growing out of the center of a cedar tree.There is a dried deer skull, resting on an old Case hay baler, which all men can relate to. Check out an interior shot of a sunken hotel lobby, taken from above. Then there will always be the beautiful waterways and lakes of the southern region, but be careful, because one of these is actually a flooded yard, that looks like a lake!  So, there will be something here for any taste.  Oh, and did she forget to mention the lady Pirate?? You can see more of Emily's work online at www.emilybrodnax.com.
     The Ouachita River Art Gallery (now nicknamed The River Gallery), 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe invites you to come see Emily's show during the month of July. There will be an art reception for Emily on Saturday, July 7 from 2-4pm and the public is invited to stop by and meet Emily and see her work. Admission to the gallery is always free. When you shop at your local gallery, you not only help our economy by keeping your money in the area, but you also save on sales taxes and shipping. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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.

Rusty Patterson, June 2012 Featured Artist

Join the gallery as we hold a reception for our June featured artist, Rusty Patterson during the Downtown Gallery Crawl, Thursday, June 7 from 4-9 pm. We're heating things up with live music from Steve Cagle, keyboardist for Eddie and the Party Rockers. Steve will be playing Blue and Americana music throughout the evening. Enjoy work by over 28 artists, some of the best food around, and wine by Landry's Vineyard.

 

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).

 

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe invites you to come see Rusty’s show during the month of June. Admission to the gallery is always free.  When you shop at your local gallery, you not only help our economy by keeping your money in the area, you also save on sales taxes and shipping. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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.

Jim McDaniel, May Featured Artist

Memphis, by Jim McDaniel

Jim McDaniel of Monroe, Louisiana is the Ouachita River Art Gallery’s featured artist in May. Most of his work is done from photographs, largely from places he and his wife have traveled in the U.S., Europe and South America. His favorite subjects are cars and scenes of New Orleans and, of course, living in Louisiana, the south and its landscapes. Antebellum homes and food are also favorite subjects. This show, entitled “A Taste Of  The South”, will feature scenes and still life from several southern regions. Jim works primarily in oil or acrylics on canvas, but has done a few works with watercolor and colored pencils as well as pastels.  His favorite medium is alkyds, “Because they’re real oils but you don’t have to wait long for them to dry.”

Years ago Jim’s wife, Brenda, encouraged him to pick up a brush and paint. He did, and surprised himself with not only how much he enjoyed it, but also how good his first painting was. He’s been painting ever since, and has taken lessons and workshops from local and regional artists.  In 1991 Jim was accepted into the Ouachita River Art Gallery in West Monroe. He and his wife had a two person show at the Arkansas Natural Resources Museum in 1999 and displayed 85 paintings. Each now has a painting in the museum’s private collection. Jim’s mother was also an artist. She had his first oil painting and said it was her favorite. One Christmas she presented Jim with a framed crayon drawing he had done when he was 7 or 8 yrs. old, which she had kept all these years.

 

Retired after thirty six years in the automobile business, Jim is active in the arts, and is a member of both the River Cities Art Association and the Ouachita River Art Guild. He says, “I continue to paint in order to stay busy and productive.”

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe invites you to come see Jim’s show during the month of May. Admission to the gallery is always free.  When you shop at your local gallery, you not only help our economy by keeping your money in the area, you also save on sales taxes and shipping. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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.

 

Allen Harrison, April 2012 Featured Artist-of-the-Month

"Stumpy Creek - Fall Colors" photograph

Ouachita River Art Gallery’s featured artist in April is photographer Allen Harrison of West Monroe, LA. Allen has been taking photographs with a 35 mm camera for over thirty years, and says, “It has always been a challenge to capture, on film or digitally, an image as I see it with my eyes. The new digital cameras really help, but it’s still a struggle to blend the technical aspects of photography with the creativity of art.”

Allen views photography as a unique art form that can be used to capture a beautiful scene, a special person, a memorable occasion, or just a moment in time. Since it is quick, convenient, and economical, it can also be used to easily document an event. The aspect of photography that really intrigues him is when a photographer and his camera capture a truly remarkable image. That image may be a fantastic landscape scene, a dramatic historical event, or simply the quizzical facial expression of a child. Sometimes the photograph is the result of hours of planning and elaborate staging, or it may have been a “just grab the camera and shoot” situation. Whatever the case, Harrison thinks this special moment is normally a combination of the following factors coming together: Training and skill of the photographer; creativity and experience; being at the right place at the right time; luck.
      Over the last ten years Allen thinks he as been fortunate to have some of his photographs shown at the Masur Museum, two images selected by Louisiana Life magazine, and several others shown at local exhibits and contests. Harrison says he takes pictures that interest him, structures, colors, scenic, historical, nature, black & white, comical, or whatever situation may arise.
     Harrison says, “During the last few years photography has led me down some interesting paths. I have had the opportunity to travel to some awesome places and meet some people I would not have met otherwise. I’ve worked on some special projects, learned a great deal, and sold my prints to customers all across the United States. My most common subject matter is old pickup trucks, the French Quarter in New Orleans, and nature scenes. Although I may never capture that really special photograph, I’m having a great time trying.”
     The Ouachita River Art Gallery , 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe , invites you to come see Allen ’s work during the month of April . Admission to the gallery is always free. 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. 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.

"Swamp" by Marsha Cabuk, featured Artist-of-the-Month

Ouachita River Art Gallery’s featured artist in March is Marsha Wilson Cabuk of Oak Ridge, Louisiana. She is a native of Alabama where she grew up and learned her love of art from her mother, Isabelle Lovell Wilson, a noted Alabama watercolor artist. While traveling throughout the United States, England, Europe and Turkey with her late husband, Col. Joe G. Cabuk, Jr. USAF, Marsha visited art galleries and attended various art workshops. Marsha is an art instructor and a member of the Ouachita River Art Gallery and the River Cities Art Association.

Marsha works in various media, and her paintings reflect both her love of color and the beauty that she observes in Louisiana. She prefers oil and acrylic mediums, letting the paint flow into images that form landscapes. Using various colors of glass beads, natural gemstones and feathers, together with shells, leather and stones, Marsha also creates unique jewelry as well as Native American “Dream Webs”.
      Marsha says, “Growing up in Alabama and traveling around to the various places where we were stationed in the US Air Force, I was fortunate to be introduced to many artists and their unique styles. I enjoy the challenge of making a piece of jewelry by bringing together glass beads and other objects, or combining different art media in a painting. My goal is to share my love of art, color, and the beauty of nature with the public.”
     The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, invites you to come see Marsha’s work during the month of March. Admission to the gallery is always free. 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. 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

Margaret Ellerman, February 2012 Featured Artist - Visit with the artist Saturday, Feb. 4th, 4-6:30pm

Margaret Mays Ellerman, a painter and art educator from Winnsboro, is the featured artist for February 2012 at Ouachita River Art Gallery. Her show, “Memories of Childhood” contains paintings from events that happened during her young years in Franklin Parish. Margaret has briefly recalled the story of each event in an abstract manner, using watercolors on rice paper and watercolor papers, and acrylic paint on canvas and in writings displayed with each painting. Her show opens Wednesday, February 1, 2012 and will close on Wednesday, February, 29. There will be a public reception on Saturday, February 4, from 4:00 until 6:30 PM.

     Ellerman, who has been featured in Louisiana Life Magazine, has exhibited in juried competitions in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi , and Georgia. She and has had one-person and two-person exhibitions at The Old Post Office Museum, Winnsboro, Schepis Museum, Columbia, Snyder Museum, Bastrop, and the South Arkansas Arts Center in El Dorado, AR.

 The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, invites you to come see this special show. Admission to the gallery is always free.  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. 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.

Melanie Douthit, January 2012 featured Artist of the Month

Melanie Fitzgerald Douthit from West Monroe, Louisiana is the featured artist for the month of January 2012 at Ouachita River Art Gallery. Her show, "Secret Garden" showcases vibrant acrylic floral paintings with a bit of whimsy. You can meet the artist and discuss her works at a reception for the artist Saturday, January 7 from 2 to 4 PM.

 

Melanie completed her first oil painting in her late teens and since then she has ventured into watercolor, pen and ink, conte crayon, colored pencil, acrylic and paper collage creations. She’s studied under Claudia Nice, Marlene Gremillion, Ronnie Barnes, M. Douglas Walton,  Sharon Teel Bennett, and Margaret Ellerman. She started selling her original art online in 2000 and has sold paintings to collectors in all fifty states, France, Greece, England and other various countries across the globe. Her “Mardi Gras Dachshund” paintings hang nationwide in over 30 Mimi’s Café Restaurants, and remains one of her most collected scenes.  Her current creations depict French Quarter architectural art, colorful florals and whimsical collage pieces.

 

From 2006-2010, Melanie expanded her creativity by working within the paper craft industry. She worked on the design teams for scrapbook manufacturing companies (Flair Designs, Dream Street Papers, Paper Salon, and Piggy Tales) creating scrapbook pages, cards and altered items for promotional use. She has sold her designs and articles to various leading craft publications including Crafts n Things, Paper Crafts Magazine, Cards, and Just Cards. Since becoming involved in the paper craft industry, she started merging both of her loves - paper and paint, and many of her paintings combine both of those loves.

 

Melanie has exhibited her art work in various Northeast Louisiana exhibits including the 102A Bistro in Ruston, and most recently, Art With A View. Her work as been in galleries in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Arkansas.. She currently has art at the Great Artists Collective Gallery on Royal Street in New Orleans, LA, as well as locally at Brazzell and Co.Home, and The Ouachita River Art Gallery where she is a juried member. You can see more of her work at www.melaniedouthit.com

 

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, invites you to come see this special show during the entire month of January. 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 f