Conway League of Artists board meeting is the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm. Members are welcome to attend.
Leslie Collier, President
Art has always been there for me and is an essential part of who I was, I am, and will be. I have drawn and painted for as long as I could remember and took art classes throughout school. I attended Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, AR and graduated with a BA in art education. I have taught elementary art for eight years; four of those years were here in Conway.
Currently, I am working with watercolor and have been taking Shelia Parson’s watercolor class for the past three summers. I am drawn to this medium because it challenges me, and I have yet to discover all its possibilities. Although I do focus on realism within my work, I also want to capture the emotion and atmosphere of my subject matter and creatively convey that to others. Aside from watercolor, I have also worked with acrylics, printmaking, and charcoal.
Sandy Arnault, Vice president
Sandy Arnault was born and raised in Albert Lea, Minnesota. She began by drawing horses with her father at a young age and then started painting at age ten. Farming life and rural life lessons are her foundation. Sandy’s success as an artist has been shaped by her childhood, the opportunity to study with professional artists, and her continuous learning over the years.
Her respect and love of the land is shown in her art. Farm animals and nature are naturally what Sandy loves to paint. Her work is representational art. Paintings she has done have been shown in many places throughout the world, such as Arkansas, Arizona, Mississippi, Minnesota, Texas, and Paris, France.
Having the privilege to study with several professional artists has led to her growth as an artist. Some of these accomplished artists are Greg Beecham, Bruce Greene, Martin Grelle, Phil Beck, John Fawcett, and Tina Garrett. Sandy has had many significant experiences during her journey as an artist but one particular highlight was in 2000. Sandy and a large group of other Americans painted in the famous Louvre in Paris, France. The Louvre is the world’s largest museum and an incredible historical monument. This three week endeavor was invaluable. She has also traveled to Spain, Canada, Central America, and across the United States to study the works of many famous artists.
Sandy and her husband, Larry, reside in Searcy, Arkansas on a 70 acre farm where they continue the tradition of raising cattle, horses, and Australian Shepherds. Sandy owns and operates her own art studio on the back of their land. It is Trinity Art Studio, a place for artists to gather and paint nature’s beauty. This also serves as a place for teachers to hold art and painting workshops. It allows teachers and students to observe nature in a peaceful environment.
Sandy’s subject matter encompasses what surrounds her life in the country.
Sheri Locher, Secretary & Treasurer
My artwork is utterly incomprehensible and therefore full of deep significance” Calvin and Hobbes
Richard Talley, Membership
Richard Talley is married to artist Sheila Parsons. After spending over 15 years in the Information Technology field, he is semi-retired and the Executive Administrator for Sheila Parsons’ Art-Ventures LLC. He has travel with Sheila on many of her workshops in Europe, Mexico, and the United States.When he is not busy helping Sheila, he enjoys driving his Mazda Miata sportscar.
Susan Peterson, CommunicationsAfter retiring from teaching in higher education in 2004, Susan started doing artwork. She first took a watercolor class with Sheila Parsons and studied oil and acrylics with Steve Griffith. She now spends her time painting (acrylic is now the preferred medium) and creating pottery, hand built and wheel thrown. She is represented at Carmen’s Antiques in Conway. She is a former president of CLA.
Virginia Miller, Member at Large
I paint with watercolors because I am fascinated watching the magic occur when the pigment hits the paper. Surprises occur, sometimes happy ones, other times a learning experience. I also enjoy pastels and at times combine the two.
Tim Donar, Member at Large
Tim Donar is a published author and photographer specializing in landscape, commercial and aerial photography. Capturing the never before seen perspectives and sharing his passion in every photo. Tim’s book, “Arkansas State Parks” features aerial photography of all 52 Arkansas state parks and is the first published book dedicated to the state parks and the first using aerial photography. For many years Tim has provided fine art printmaking services on watercolor, canvas, and a metal surface.
Tim resides in Conway Arkansas and works as a solution engineer in the Vertica data analytics software group, a division of HP. Responsibilities include programming and development of demos. Through data visualization and finding effective ways to communicate complex information to sales and customers Tim has created a number of award-winning big data illustrated infographics.
Pepper Henthorne-Adams, Historian
I received a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art with an emphasis in drawing in 1996 from University of Central Arkansas. I enjoy drawing and photography.
Shirley Bowen, Show Chair
After completing a long career in television, Shirley is happily spending a lot more time making art. She sketches and paints still lifes and portraits and is currently working to improve skills in figure drawing and use of color. She likes to paint with pastels, gouache and other water-based materials.
Suzann Waggoner, Show Liaison
Mount Vernon artist, V. Suzann Waggoner, was born at the close of World War II. As America returned to a pre-war status, there were cultural and social changes that influenced every aspect of an emerging, new American lifestyle.
The excitement of these times was not lost on Ms. Waggoner. The cultural changes left an impact on her artistic development. There were new expressions of taste and styles in every level and decision made. From the old-world art masters, to the unfettered new world “masters”, art, itself, was undergoing changes that wee both frightening and exhilarating.
Now, art studies, in public schools, shouldered the responsibility of trying to teach old world painting studies with current-trending art forms. It opened doors, to art expression, that had both good and mixed results. It did accelerate Ms. Waggoner’s drawing and painting skills. Her work has continued to be influenced by both the old-world studies and the masters of the 20th century.
Ms. Waggoner has illustrated several history-based books with her pen and ink drawings. Her pen and ink drawings have been used in fund-raising projects, as stationery, and sold to support these projects. When the Cadron Post Block House burned, her artwork stationery raised the first $15,000, so that the block house could be rebuilt.
Her paintings have been well-accepted into local, state, regional and national art shows. She has won many awards with her detailed style of painting.
She is on the board of directors for Mid-Southern Watercolorists and is a signature member, diamond status, of this organization. She is a member of Conway League of Artists, and past president. Her artworks are represented in the archives, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. She was recently awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Women in the Arts for the national society Daughters of the American Revolution. She is also represented by the Arkansas Arts Council, a division of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and has four paintings in its permanent collection through the competition Small Works on Paper.
