Gail Shelton
Gail H. Shelton was raised in San Antonio, Texas, and majored in art at the University of Texas in Austin. She met and married her husband, Steve, and finished her Art Education degree at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. They have one daughter, Hannah, a student at LSU. Gail taught Gifted and Talented art students in Winnfield for 20 years, and retired a few years ago. She is the owner of the Pea Patch Gallery in downtown Winnfield that houses an antique mall, café, and art gallery.
Gail has been working as an artist for over 25 years. She works primarily in watercolor or colored pencil, but also does pen and ink, pencil, pastel, and acrylic. Her subject matter includes wildlife, still life, florals, and landscapes. Her style is traditional realism. “I love the beauty of God’s creation, and enjoy trying to convey some of that beauty to my viewers. I hope that they can perhaps see an animal or flower in a new and fresh way, and that they will be inspired to appreciate the world around them.” One of her recent series combines an animal and object in a word puzzle that she calls “Riddle Pics”. For example, a drawing of a duck and a roll of scotch tape combine to make “Duck Tape”. This series has been very popular and is printed in calendars, notecards, and postcards. She exhibits her work at the gallery, and in juried shows across the nation several times a year. She is represented by Price Associates in Natchitoches and Lytle’s in Shreveport. She can be seen at the Red River Revel Arts Festival in Shreveport every October.
Gail is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, a member of Hoover Watercolor Society, Louisiana Watercolor Society, the Contemporary Artists Guild, and the Louisiana Society of Animal Artists. Her work has won numerous awards, and has been featured in Wildlife Art News magazine and U. S. Art magazine.
She continues to teach art classes at her studio at the Pea Patch Gallery, and does several travel workshops every year. She is available for demonstrations and lectures at meetings and art events.