Ouachita River Art Gallery

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

2012-01-30T05:22:00.000-08:00

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

2012-01-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

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

Shop ORAG for unique, artist-made gifts!

2011-12-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

Marlene Gremillion, November Featured Artist

2011-10-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

Multi-media artist, Marlene Gremillion , formerly of West Monroe, now residing in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is the featured artist for November at Ouachita River Art Gallery. Marlene was a founding member and past president of ORAG, and she still enjoys being associated with the group. She loves contact with other artists, displaying her works at ORAG and throughout the state of Arkansas.

Marlene is an accomplished artist who works in many mediums and says she enjoys each one because she feels like she is always playing and having fun. Besides painting in watercolor for over 25 years, Marlene also designs jewelry using Argentium Sterling Silver, and 14 Karat Gold wire with semi precious stones, and she creates fused glass pieces. This show will be an eclectic mix, from paintings to jewelry to glass work.

Gremillion is a signature member of Mid-Southern Watercolorists and Louisiana Watercolor Society and Publicity Chairman of Brush Strokes in Hot Springs Village, AR. Marlene enjoys sharing her knowledge by teaching at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock, at the National Park Community College Continuing Education (Hot Springs, AR) and a number of workshops throughout the state of Arkansas. She says, “Teaching is so enjoyable, especially watching others get excited when creating a piece of artwork.” She will be teaching a painting workshop, “Mixed Media on Yupo” at ORAG, February 18, 19 & 20, 2012 and a mother/ daughter jewelry class on March 24, 2012. You can see Marlene’s work on her web site at: www.marlenegremillion.com

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

Nancy Shutt, October Featured Artist

2011-09-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-02T04:56:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-02T04:54:00.000-07:00

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

Jerry Jones, ORAG August Artist-of-the-Month

2011-08-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

The featured artist for August at the Ouachita River Art Gallery is wildlife and landscape artist (and local television broadcaster) Jerry Jones of West Monroe, Louisiana. “When I was a kid I was amazed at the artwork and illustrations on the covers of Outdoor Life. I would wait until everyone was asleep and slip into the living room with some paper and a pencil and draw until I couldn’t keep my eyes open.”

Jerry didn’t take formal lessons until he returned home from the Navy in 1973. He had a full ride with the G.I. Bill but no idea what he wanted to do with his life. “My older brother teased me saying I had no marketable skills, so I majored in the only thing I knew I had talent for, art.” It was while in college that he developed a love for painting. Life, work and raising kids took him away from art for several years. In 2000 he was commissioned to do a mural in Columbus, Mississippi. He spent the next three years painting over 1,000 square feet of walls with a palette knife. Since completing that work, he hasn’t let life interrupt his desire to create. His “day job” has moved him around the country, and while living in Montana, he was drawn back into the world of wildlife art. Now back in his native South, Jerry has found a fascination with the various flora and fauna of the Louisiana bayous.

“This is a beautiful world we live in. I am awestruck by the design, texture, color and emotion that I see and feel in creation; the raw power of a fast approaching thunderstorm; the constantly changing light and color of an old Tom turkey in full strut; the drama of shape and form of almost anything that throws off an interesting drop shadow. Did I mention color? If I could be outdoors every day, I would. I would walk for days into the wilderness or just sit for hours taking in the beauty of it all. That’s why I like to draw and paint wildlife. I like what I see out there and I want to take a piece of it home with me. I start out by saying, ‘Good job, God. But, how did you do that?’ Then I try to capture the essence of what He has already produced, first in my heart and head, then on paper, panel or canvas. During that process is when creating begins. We all have some of the Creator’s nature within us, and my “spark of the Divine” leads me to venture off the natural course as I follow the shapes and colors on the canvas. When I finish a piece it feels like a small miracle. And then I begin to think to myself, ‘Not the best you can do, Jones’ and I start all over again.”

Jerry received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Southern Mississippi with emphasis in Drawing and Painting. He has displayed his work at Southern Breeze Art Gallery, in Jackson, MS (2001 to 2004), the Paradise Gallery, in Gardiner, MT (2008 to 2009), Carbon County Arts Guild and Depot Gallery, in Red Lodge, MT (2006-2009), and currently is a participating artist/member of the Ouachita River Art Gallery, West Monroe, LA. Jerry has been accepted in the following juried exhibits: 2008 Rocky Mountain Regional Juried Exhibition, 2008 Arts in the Beartooths, and the 2007 Yellowstone Art Museum Small Works Exhibit.

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, invites you to come see this special show of Jerry’s work during the entire month of August. 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.

Jane Dixon, July 2011 Artist-of-the-Month

2011-07-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

Three Geese Swimming

Has Monroe painter Jane Dixon “flown over the coo coo’s nest,” or does she just love birds?

Dixon will be the Ouachita River Art Gallery featured artist in the month of July. As Jane looked back over the paintings she has done over the past three years, she found there was a common theme: Birds. Her last few paintings have been based on birds found in her son’s and daughter-in-law’s backyard in Trout, Louisiana. You may think you have entered a bird sanctuary as you view her display of pelicans, bluebirds, grosbeaks, and much, much more.

Jane was born and lived in Texas for the first 30 years of her life. She and her husband landed in Broussard, Louisiana first and then in north Louisiana where they operated a computer business for over twenty-five years. She began painting approximately three years ago and says, “It is a long way from what I used to do, which was teaching people how to use their computers.” Many of you may remember her helping you learn your word processing program.

Jane has a variety of interests when it comes to painting, so she will also include in her display portraits of various family members which is a real favorite of hers. A few months ago she became interested in still life and will include a few of those, also. She says she is an “artist still attempting to find her niche, because there are so many things to paint.”

Jane believes God provides blessings at different points in each life as they are needed. She had really never attempted to paint until after her husband’s death, and it has helped fill a void and provide a lot of enjoyment. She has received “Best of Show” awards for two consecutive years in the Ouachita Parish Senior Olympics, Best of Show in the Adult II Painter’s Pallet show, and Best of Show in the Ouachita Parish Public Libraries' competition “Capture the Beauty”.

Her exhibit may be seen for the entire month of July at the Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe. 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.

Donna McGee, June Artist-of-the-Month

2011-05-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

What do you Know about Dragonflies? (mixed media on paper)
    The featured artist in June at Ouachita River Art Gallery is artist Donna McGee. The paintings in her exhibit, Vision Manifested, are visions or “landscapes of the mind”, born of McGee’s experiences with nature. Quoting Kahlil Gibran, “Art arises when the secret vision of the artist and the manifestation of nature agree to find new shapes”.

    McGee works both directly and indirectly from nature. According to McGee, “The works in this show began as pure exploration of the medium, for the most part with no objective image in mind. The action of time and energy flow and their effect on nature are inspiration for most of the works. I was trying to express the visible and not visible properties of earth, air and water, but at some point images that directly reference nature do become a part of each work”. This exploratory approach to painting is what McGee enjoys most because to her it is the purest expression of creative insight. It is a way of revealing what is internal rather than depicting what is external. However, she also enjoys plein air painting because it gives her the opportunity to directly interact with nature, changing light and seasons.
    Regardless of the approach, McGee says that she tries to remain focused on the formal aspects of art as a balance for the seductiveness of the media and various processes used to create the image. She loves to explore and experiment and is always seeking new pathways to personal expression.
    Donna McGee has always sought a spiritual connection with nature through gardening, hiking, and travel. She looks to the natural world for entertainment, discovery, adventure and peace. McGee says, “I have wandered forest trails, trod high steep mountain paths, drunk from cold refreshing streams, eaten food cooked in the wild, (that tasted much better there than at home), laughed and groaned with like-minded friends, contemplated the meaning of existence, and found peace for pain of loved ones lost. I have seen the face of God in wild places and am richer for it. Sometimes I have found mystery and darkness, sometimes humor and light. The natural world is complex and sometimes unpredictable, but honest in a way that man is not”.
    Donna McGee is a signature member of the Louisiana Watercolor Society and the Mississippi Watercolor Society. Her oil, watercolor, and mixed media works have been included in numerous regional and national exhibitions. She has taught art at the university level for 20 years and is currently Head of the Department of Art at Grambling State University.
    This exhibition may be seen for the entire month of June at the Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, which has been designated part of the Cottonport Historic Cultural District and is sales tax free on purchases of original art. 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.

Donna McGee, June Artist-of-the-Month

2011-05-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Beyond Me, mixed media on paper.

Anne Eberle, May Artist-of-the-Month

2011-05-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Ouachita River Art Gallery's featured Artist-of-the-Month for May is Monroe painter, Anne Eberle. When Anne moved to Monroe one of her first purchases was a book, The Southern Gardener. The rich soil and warmer, wetter climate of the area led to high expectations and a joy in the available beauty in local gardens. Anne feels nature offers a serenity not easily found elsewhere. She says, “I offer homage to beauty that lies all around us.”

In this exhibit Anne returns to one of her first and lasting loves, the beauty of flowers. A Touch of Floral displays different approaches to painting flowers. Watercolor is Anne's first choice of medium for this endeavor, as she feels it lends itself to the transparency and delicacy found in flowers. Graduating from Purdue University in Applied Design, Anne worked for Hallmark, Inc. and later taught silver jewelry making. She has a Masters in Painting from the then Northeast Louisiana University. Anne has taught watercolor in the Monroe area. She has had many paintings accepted in exhibitions and many of her works are held in private and public collections.

Anne Eberle‘s exhibit A Touch of Floral may be seen for the entire month of May at the Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe. 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.

Cindy Blanchard, April Artist-of-the-Month

2011-04-02T08:49:00.001-07:00

Hope is the central theme of a new exhibit by Monroe photographic artist Cindy Blanchard of Monroe, Louisiana. She is the featured artist for April 2011 at the Ouachita River Art Gallery. Titled Relentless Heart, this show is a mosaic of images, including scenes of New York City, scenes of local children playing, and vaious interpretive imagery. The exhibit explores the windows of hope which open the walls of desperation we have all felt in the wake of September 11, 2001. With a decade filled with disasters and attacks, walls go up, people withdraw into themselves, but hope pierces these walls. In the aftermath of tragedy, in the wake of awful things, hope is still standing. Blanchard's exhibition blends frames of urban reality, surrealism, and the pure joy of children at play. The montage evokes hopeful insight into the resilience of the human spirit; the images form a touching pastiche built of contrasts. Cindy describes herself as a reluctant artist. “Photographic art is very personal to me, and about things I hold dear on a very intimate level. I had the inspiration for this show while looking through images of a photo session in a preschool. Seeing the children happy and intent allows me hope and encourages me to press on in the face of adversity.” Cindy knows the story behind each photo, a story born from a life that has been varied and exciting, filled with challenges and the character to surmount them, filled with a love for a life filled with hope. “I think the children are fearless and fanciful. It occurred to me that it would be uplifting to show that, combining the children's images with other signs of life after this difficult decade. The images of the kids say that hope is there. With just those images, some might look and say, how cute, and overlook the deeper possibilities. I think these are brought out by viewing the mix of images. In a way it would be nice to include other elements, such as sound and motion, which are missing in photographic art. It becomes more individual as the images must evoke that interplay from within the viewer: sounds of laughter, giggles and smiles, migratory races from one spot on the playground to another, the raw hope of childhood; all these things spring easily from the memory. In the context of the other images, it reminds that we heal, we rebound. Life is relentless hope. Life is living.” “Relentless Heart” may be viewed in the month of April at the Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe. 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.

Cindy Blanchard, April Artist-of-the-Month

2011-04-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

Rebellion of the Twins, photography, by Cindy Blanchard, ORAG April 2011 Artist-of-the-Month.

Don Hudnall, February Artist-of-the-Month

2011-02-05T10:32:00.000-08:00

The Ouachita River Art Gallery February 2011 Artist-of-the-Month is potter/sculptuor Don Hudnall of West Monroe. His show, Techniques: From Mugs to Moai, will treat you to a smorgasboard of pieces, various methods including:

Coils: Stringing clay and rolling it into spirals to create individual pieces.
Petrified Forest: I made several stone posts, that when put together, create a forest of pieces that have been paddled.
Chattered bowls: Wheel thrown bowls made using the chattering technique.
Modern Moai: These are hanging pieces inspired by the Easter Island Moai. These are hand formed using a plaster mold I created and then altered.
Saggar: Wheel thrown then Saggar fired in a raku kiln.
Functional Mugs: Wheel thrown, with handles and sprigs added. Microwave/dishwasher safe.
Totem: Hand built with individual pieces assembled on rebar.
Noobs: Extruded and altered to create characters.

Don grew up in West Monroe, Louisiana, attended area schools and graduated from The University of Louisiana at Monroe with a BS in Toxicology (poisons). Although he has a formal education in the sciences, he finds himself returning to the art world taking classes in stained glass, sculpture, metal casting and, of course, pottery, where he continues to "get dirty" in his gardens.

Don states that he discovered the art of pottery by accident. While grinding on a metal sculpture, he accidentally threw sparks over bisque ware pieces. The sparks permanently marked the pottery and after a glaze firing, iron oxide "meteor streaks" appeared on the pieces. Curious and wanting to know more about what produced these interesting results, Don enrolled in classes and discovered new ways of playing in the dirt (clay).

Don continued to discover more about pottery at the Lockheed Martin Recreational Pottery Studio where he became the newsletter editor, then publicity chair, followed by two years as president of the studio. He was also a member of the Texas Pottery and Sculpture Guild where he met many productive artists. After 20 years in the DFW metroplex area, Don returned home to West Monore, Louisiana where he continues to "get dirty".

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, invites you to come see this special show of Don’s work during the entire month of February. 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.

Don Hudnall, creating...

2011-02-05T10:30:00.001-08:00

Charlie Heck, January 2011 Artist-of-the-Month

2011-01-02T11:47:00.001-08:00

ORAG FEATURES PHOTOGRAPHER CHARLIE HECK IN JANUARY

The featured artist for January at Ouachita River Art Gallery is photographer and local attorney Charlie Heck of Monroe, Louisiana. Raised primarily in northeast Louisiana, Charlie’s first serious exposure to photography was during a tour with the United States Air Force. Through the kind and patient instruction of an elderly sergeant who managed the base photo lab, he was gradually introduced to the entire gamut of photography and still vividly recalls the thrills of working in a wet darkroom and the excitement of watching negatives or papers develop.

This initial exposure bred a continuing involvement with cameras and a growing, driven interest in the capture and development of images. The advent of digital photography and its progression to the point of challenging the advantages of film, commanded his attention. All of Charlie’s work is now processed electronically, using Photoshop and inkjet printers.

While his initial interest was nature photography created during regular visits to many wildlife refuges and preserves, Charlie is presently working with scenic images and an exploration of high dynamic range imagery. Charlie has been a supporter of Black Bayou Lake and other national wildlife refuges, and was involved in developing a photographic blind and an annual photographic competition at Black Bayou Lake. Charlie’s photography has been nationally and regionally published has been selected for book covers and wildlife refuge brochures. He has been accepted into juried competitions at the Masur Museum and the Louisiana Museum in Baton Rouge. Exhibiting locally, his images received first place awards at Art With a View in 2009 and 2010. One of his images is in the collection of the Biedenharn Museum.

Christmas at Ouachita River Art Gallery!

2010-12-09T04:29:00.000-08:00

ORAG OFFERS CHRISTMAS GIFT ITEMS IN DECEMBER

Among the co-op members in the Ouachita River Art Gallery are painters, potters, photographers, woodworkers and jewelry makers. In December, this varied group of artists will offer special Christmas gift items as well as their usual artwork in the Ouachita River Art Gallery on Antique Alley in West Monroe, Louisiana. Sales of original works are tax exempt under the Louisiana Cultural District, so visitors not only support local artists but also save by not having to pay sales taxes when shopping in the co-op’s gallery.

With the year coming to an end, the Ouachita River Art Gallery is grateful to the local community for the continued support of the arts in our area and our galleries on Antique Alley in West Monroe and OIB Plaza in Monroe. The Ouachita River Art Gallery members is looking forward to being able to continue in these rough economic times by providing not only the best of what they have to offer in artwork to the public but by also by being a viable member of the local art scene in lending their efforts to other art groups in the area.

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, Louisiana invites you to come see the wide variety of local and regional items available. 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 taxes and shipping . The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm. In December, the gallery will open on Sundays from 1 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free. Paintings 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, Louisiana. For more information, call 318-322-2380

Donna Tucker, November Artist-of-Month

2010-10-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

The Ouachita River Art Gallery’s featured artist for November is Donna Lenamon Tucker of Monroe. She is a native of Louisiana, having grown up in Delhi, and is a long time resident of Monroe. Donna has been a member of The Ouachita River Art Gallery since 1995. Her paintings have been exhibited in museums, galleries and national shows. Donna is an intuitive and instinctive painter who enjoys creating paintings with lots of colork. She enjoys just letting the paint flow. Her style of painting ranges from abstract realism to nonobjective. This show, 2010 Overview: Mixed Media, is composed mostly of mixed water media and collage.
Donna says her goal is to share her love of art and color, through free expression, with the public.

Don Holloway, October Artist-of-the-Month

2010-10-03T06:08:00.001-07:00

The featured artist for October at Ouachita River Art Gallery is Don R. Holloway of Monroe, Louisiana. Don specializes in crystalline glazed porcelain ware and has devoted himself to this very challenging and precise ceramic medium since 1978. No two pieces of crystalline porcelain are ever exactly alike and long hours of research and firing often result in only a 50% success rate. There are less than fifty full-time crystalline potters in the world today who produce nothing but crystalline ware. Don wrote and published the first text book on this medium, “The Art And Craft Of Crystals”, which is now in its’ fourth printing. He founded the International Symposium Of Crystalling Artists in 1982 and publishes the group’s newsletter. Holloway’s crystalline pieces are in collections both here and abroad. He participates in many regional exhibitions and shows around the USA and has won “best of show” and “sold out” status in many states. Besides studio work under renowned teachers, Don received his art degree from NLU (now ULM) in Monroe and did his graduate work there. He opened his own pottery studio, “Crosscraft Originals” in 1982 in Monroe. He teaches three workshops a year and also teaches basic pottery to beginners. He is also a dealer for pottery supplies and equipment.

Joyce Beauvais, September Artist-of-the-Month

2010-09-01T04:11:00.001-07:00

Joyce White Beauvais of Farmerville, Louisiana is the Ouachita River Art Gallery’s featured artist in September. Her show, Leaves, depicts different forms of plant life. As a lover of nature, Joyce looks around and sees that beauty abounds locally. The subject of her painting, Dried Corn Stalks, is something that all locals see every year.
As a Orleans native, Joyce lived in that area until her move to Lake D’Arbonne about
fourteen years ago. Her paintings reflect both south and northeastern Louisiana influences. Some of her paintings have depicted south Louisiana cemeteries. She has also painted scenes from Lake D'Arbonne, Bayou DeLoutre' and other area bayous.
Joyce paints in acrylic, oil and watercolor. Her favorite medium is watercolor on yupo paper. Yupo is not really a paper, but plastic. The paint sits on the surface and lets the artist be creative. Her latest award was the Dr.H.B. Wright Memorial Award at the 2010 53rd Annual Spring Exhibition at Barnwell Art Center in Shreveport, held by the Hoover Watercolor Society. The winning painting, called Forest Floor, is included in this exhibit.

Brenda McDaniel, August Artist-of-the-Month

2010-07-31T18:55:00.001-07:00

Brenda Clark McDaniel of Monroe, Louisiana is the Ouachita River Art Gallery’s featured artist for August 2010. Her show, Running Out Of Time, consists of oil and acrylic paintings depicting the decline of common living things.

The artist says, “This show was inspired by the beauty I see in common living things as they near the end of their lives. I hope to show the viewer that a living thing coming to the end of its life does not have to be ugly but can be a beautiful process. Death is not the end but a beginning. Also, anyone who has ever cleaned out their refrigerator’s crisper drawer will relate to these images!”

A native of Mer Rouge, Louisiana, who has lived in Kentucky, Kansas, Texas and Europe, 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 Brenda attended several universities and private schools, she considers herself primarily a self-taught artist. She helped organize and open the local gallery The Ouachita River Art Guild, which is now celebrating 20 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.

Brenda McDaniel, August Artist-of-the-Month

2010-07-31T18:51:00.000-07:00

Running Out of Time - Pumkins

Carolyn Fox, July 2010 Artist-of-the-Month

2010-06-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

The featured artist for July at Ouachita River Art Gallery is Carolyn Fox of
Monroe, Louisiana. Carolyn has always loved to draw, even as a child. After raising her family, she began to take painting lessons (funded by a birthday present from her mother). Now one of her greatest joys comes from being an art instructor at the West Monroe Senior Center.
Carolyn’s show, Kids Just Want to Have Fun!, was inspired by memories of playing as a child and by watching children in play over the years. These paintings were done in several different media. Some were done for parents, grandparents and neighbors or friends. Others are family pieces and depict her own grandchildren. Viewing this collection of "water babies" will certainly bring back memories of one's own childhood or of raising children. The artist says, “The God-given beauty in nature and my love of life are ever present in my work. I strive to create paintings that summon emotions of nostalgia.” I think she has succeeded in this mission.

T.A. Roberts, Artist-of-the-Month June 2010

2010-06-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

The featured artist for June 2010 at Ouachita River Art Gallery is T. A. Roberts of Grayson, Louisiana. T. A. was raised in the small sawmill town of Clarks, Louisiana. He 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 carpenter 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 Gatlinberg, Tennessee and went to Provo, Utah this spring for further woodturning studies.

T.A. says, “In woodturning your only limiting factor is your imagination and the size of your woodturning blank. 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.”

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe invites you to come see T.A. Roberts’ show during the month of June 2010. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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.

Phoebe Allen, May Artist-of-the-Month

2010-05-01T09:40:00.001-07:00

Hydrangeas

(acrylic on rice paper)

24" x 28" $600.00

The Ouachita River Art Gallery features Phoebe Allen Mathys, retired La. Tech School of Art and Architecture Professor Emeritus, in May. This show, Essence Scapes, is a series of land and environment scapes and memories of things seen and places traveled, taken from Phoebe’s sketchbooks. Painting primarily in water media, Phoebe’s love of color and playful nature is obvious to anyone viewing her work. She says, “To create means to cause to come into existence. It is hard work. Every time I sit down to paint I try to do something in image or essence I’ve never seen or done before. I hope to know my subject well enough so that my mind, eyes and hand are working together.”

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.

Phoebe Allen, May Artist-of-the-Month

2010-05-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

...and Sundried Tomorrow

(acrylic on canvas)

24" x 24" $500.00

Rita Mann - ORAG Artist of the Month/April 2010

2010-03-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Rita Mann, a native of West Monroe, LA, is the Ouachita River Art Gallery’s featured artist for the month of April. Rita specializes in watercolor, however, in the last few years, through taking workshops that ORAG offers to everyone, Rita expanded her skills to include acrylic and pastel mediums. Her featured exhibit, Adventures in Pastels, will showcase pieces from her new pastel collection.

Rita has always had an interest in art, which started early in life as her parents took the family on drives in the country to see the flowering native Louisiana flora. Influenced by this varied color, Rita was inspired to begin painting. Encouraged by her brother, she enrolled in a summer watercolor course at the local university. She has taken numerous workshops from some of America’s most talented, nationally acclaimed artists. A member of the Ouachita River Art Gallery for the last 17 years, Rita is also a signature member of the Mississippi Watercolor Society, a member of the Louisiana Watercolor Society and the Hoover Watercolor Society in Shreveport, LA.

Although Rita is well traveled, her colorful artwork reflects her passion for North Louisiana and all its beauty. She has developed her own personal style, which is colorful, but delicate. She likes to share her love of nature with everyone and says, “I love to try to capture on a piece of paper the beauty God has created.” This exhibit is one worth seeing.

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe invites you to come see Rita’s show during the month of April. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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.

Rita Mann - Artist of the Month/April 2010

2010-03-31T11:29:00.001-07:00

Member News!

2010-03-31T11:17:00.000-07:00

At the 53rd annual spring exhibition of the Hoover Watercolor Society in Shreveport, Louisiana, Mary E. Jones won a Fredrix Company Merchandise Award (honorable mention), Anne R. Eberle won a Fredrix Company Merchandise Award (honorable mention), and Joyce Beauvais won the Dr. H.B. Wright Memorial Award (5th place). Donna McGee was juried into the show as well. The juror was Laurin McCracken of Fort Worth, Texas.

hanging art at OIB

2010-03-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

Every time ORAG hangs a new show in the gallery (every two months), they also hang a show at Ouachita Independent Bank (OIB). The public can view artwork at OIB during regular banking hours. Pictured here are ORAG members (top left) Anne Eberle, (top right) Emily Brodnax, (bottom left) Mary Elizabeth Jones, and (bottom right) Jane Dixon.

"White Camellia with Blue" by Carol Smith

2010-02-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

Ouachita River Art Gallery features the
works of CAROL CULPEPPER SMITH in March

In March the Ouachita River Art Gallery features the stunning oil florals of Carol Culpepper Smith. “Back by popular demand!” That is how featured artist Carol Culpepper Smith describes her exhibit. Returning to her previously acclaimed style of detailed oil florals on colored paper, she seeks to draw her viewers in by asking, “What color is white?” In this collection of paintings she illustrates all the many colors that can be found in light and shadows in something most people see as just white.

Carol, who started painting many years ago as an outlet from family responsibilities, has explored figure painting and landscape, but finds her greatest success in her finely detailed florals. Over the years, she has studied with a number of different instructors and won numerous awards. She sees art as “. . . an ever changing experience, one influenced by emotional response to a visual image. As a representational oil painter, I attempt to strike a chord with my viewer that connects him with the image.”

Carol has been an active member of Ouachita River Art Gallery since its inception in 1990, serving in every level of leadership. Currently she chairs the exhibit in the OIB/Bankers Mortgage Plaza in Monroe. Carol says, “It is so gratifying to see this organization grow in artistic quality and diversity over the last twenty years. It is especially exciting that we now have two galleries our patrons can choose from---one on each side of the river which gave us our name.”

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe invites you to come see Carol’s show during the month of March. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Carol’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.

"The Air-Conditioned Civic" by Emily Brodnax

2010-01-31T07:13:00.000-08:00

In February, The Ouachita River Art Gallery features the black and white fine arts photography show The Mystique Of New Orleans by local photographer (and “semi-retired” pharmacist) Emily B. Brodnax. This artist has centered her show around treasures, usual and unusual, seen and rarely seen, found in New Orleans on two recent trips there. Emily continues to create her images using the increasingly lost art of gelatin silver prints in a “wet” darkroom on archival paper. She expresses a sincere love for the entire photo taking/printmaking process and says that photography is an art and not to be dismissed by those who fail to recognize the magic created in the darkroom.

Emily says, “As humans, we sometimes look without seeing, and take the familiar for granted. I invite anyone who loves Louisiana’s largest city to come view these prints and try to place them, in their minds, before reading the title cards and descriptions.”

Emily began to pursue her interest in photography in the 1980’s and immediately began to win local and national competitions. Her prints have been accepted worldwide with many “Best of Show” or “Gold Medal” awards earned and prints published in the PSA Journal. Six of her prints have been winners in The Louisiana Office of Tourism’s Travel Photo Contest, winning the Grand Prize in 1996. Her award winning prints have been published in Louisiana Life Magazine.

The Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, Louisiana invites you to see Emily’s show during the month of February. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Emily’s work can also be seen at ORAG’s extension gallery located in the Ouachita Independent Bank lobby on 18th and Louisville in Monroe, Louisiana. Call 322-2380 for more information.

"Cheniere Sunrise" by Jim McDaniel

2010-01-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

Jim McDaniel of Monroe, Louisiana, is the Ouachita River Art Gallery's January Artist-of-the-Month. Years ago, Jim's wife Brenda encouraged him to pick up a brush and paint. He did, and he surprised himself with not only how much he enjoyed it but also how good his first painting was. Jim's been painting ever since. He has taken painting lessons from the late Carol Kennedy and workshops with Margaret Ellerman and Cory Carlson. Jim works primarily in oil and acrylic on canvas. Most of his work is from photographs taken while he and his wife traveled the U.S., Europe, and South America. His favorite subjects are cars and Louisiana scenes. Jim retired after thirty years in the automotive business. He says "I continue to paint in order to stay busy and productive."

How to Paint with Pastels

2009-12-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

Cypress Swamp III (pastel on paper)
Brenda McDaniel, a founding member of the Ouachita River Art Gallery, demonstrated "How to Paint with Pastels" at the Gallery Saturday, December 19, 2009.

"Using a good, heavy-weight sanded pastel paper and very soft pastel sticks, lay in a light underpainting. Wet a large flat watercolor wash brush in a mix of 1/2 rubbing alcohol and 1/2 distilled water. Stroke the pastel with this mixture. The pastel melts and sinks into the paper. You'll need to continually dip and blot your brush on paper towels. If you need to lift color out, do it before it dries. After you have painted, you can go back with the dry sticks and either enhance or cover the image. Effects seem to glow."

Mary Elizabeth Jones demonstrating watercolor

2009-12-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

Marsha Cabuk Demonstrating Jewelry-Making

2009-12-14T07:33:00.000-08:00

Don Hudnall's Pottery

2009-12-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas Wall at ORAG

2009-12-14T07:31:00.001-08:00

December at the ORAG

2009-12-14T07:28:00.000-08:00

Art Crawl December 10, 2009

November Artist of the Month

2009-11-03T04:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

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.