Friday, June 29, 2012

Best of the Best Exhibit Opens Tonight

Associated Louisiana Artists at Gallery By the Lake will host the opening reception for Best of the Best which brings together four talented artists in this group exhibit. The reception will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the exhibit will hang until August 31st, 2012. 
Jennifer Widener

Jennifer Widener is ALA’s newest Board Member. Wisconsin born, she came here from Florida 24 years ago.  An accounting supervisor at PPG, using her left brain, her love of art makes use of her right brain as she paints abstractions freely in the world of her own she creates on canvas.  No formal training, she is enjoying her mentoring by Lois Derise.  Her painting focus changes every couple of years.
Beth Fontenot is not only an excellent watercolor artist, but is the Outstanding Dietician of the Year, according to the annual Food and Nutrition Conference in Baton Rouge last month.  Additionally, Beth writes a weekly column for the Lake Charles American Press on the subject of nutrition.  She taught the subject for 17 years at McNeese University, and now she is inspired to paint food (and whatever else catches her eye!)  Art-wise, she has participated in 2 exhibits at Stellar Beans, owned by former ALA member Valerie Smith, and was the featured artist at an exhibit at the Art Institute of Houston.  In 2012, Beth was awarded first and honorable mention awards, and in 2011 she won 2nd and 3rd place awards for her watercolors in the Lone Star Art Guild region.  She contributed her work to ALA's "Foot by Foot" effort to save the Louisiana Wetlands as well.
Beth Fontenot
Barbara Dugas loves art.  An accomplished watercolorist, she travels around the world taking workshops from such notables as Tony Couch and Brenda Swenson. She’s been to Italy, Turkey, and France and beyond since she’s retired from Boeing.  She was a contributing artist in ALA’s Foot by Foot: Vanishing Wetlands Campaign.  She has no aspirations of fame for her work, instead considering it a hobby.  She enjoys her watercolor class under the tutelage of Sue Zimmermann. Her painting in The Best of the Best exhibit was painted at the Erbon Wise property in Sulphur.

Cindy Ottenweller  works full time as a mechanical draftsman for the Levingston Group at PPG.  Her sister’s friend from Baton Rouge included her in a Painting with a Twist class and she found she was a natural.  Friend Jennifer did the legwork and found ALA classes for them both to attend.  The only problem she has with painting is that she wants to keep every one of them.  Each of them has meaning to her and she gets attached.  Her bucket list of future paintings include portraits of her kids, vintage vehicles and architecture, (which will be second nature for her!) She loves her Tuesdays with Lois Derise and her painting classes. 
For more information, contact Associated Louisiana Artists at (337) 436-1008.