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.
