Jim Huckabay: Watercolor Artist

BY BARBARA M. TOBAIS –

During the month of May, 2015, Mena Art Gallery, 607 Mena Street, will present an exhibit of the watercolor paintings of Jim Huckabay. Admission is free.

A lifelong artist, Jim Huckabay’s creative gifts were revealed at an early age. The “growing up years” found him diligently pursuing his art on a self-taught basis until his 1964 enrollment in Louisiana Tech University. There he gained a solid orientation in fine arts, design, drawing and painting. He obtained his BA degree in Advertising Design four years later. He went on to pursue graduate level studies at Northeast Louisiana University until professional opportunities drew him to Shreveport, Louisiana in 1972.

While making his way as an illustrator/art director in the world of advertising and graphic design, Huckabay accrued a sizable portfolio of visual work in all media. He was particularly drawn to the paintbrush and the magic achievable with watercolors and dyes.

Now a committed fine artist with major emphasis in water media, Jim continues to explore the endless possibilities of interpretation attainable with brushes, watercolor and paper. With a seasoned eye for design and “starting places” inspired by shapes and hues of the natural world, his emergence as a watercolorist has seemingly just begun.

On Friday, May 1, 2015, at 3:00 pm, Jim Huckabay will conduct a demonstration of how he creates his paintings. He says, “I’ll offer some starting points for about 15 minutes and talk 15 minutes after the demo (but this is all flexible). I’ll talk about subject matter, materials, and my approach to watercolor before I begin. A discourse on brushes and paint colors is included. A step by step explanation is given as I move through the painting, and several techniques will be demonstrated.

“The demo usually sparks additional questions when we wrap up. In this case, some attendees may have questions/comments about pieces in the exhibit.”

There will be a $20 fee for the demonstration which will last until approximately 4:30 or 5:00 pm. To make your reservation, please call the gallery at 479-394-3880.

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Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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