Southwest Baptist University will host a visiting artist exhibit, featuring award-winning artist Karla Breeding Trammell through Nov. 4 at the Driskill Art Gallery on the Bolivar campus.
In addition to the exhibit, a reception for Trammell will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18 at the gallery.
Trammell, who was born and raised in the Eastern Arkansas Delta, was inspired by her
piano teacher and taught herself to paint and draw because her school had no art program.
Her first formal training was a correspondence course from Art Instruction Schools,
Inc. She later earned her bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Arkansas
as a non-traditional student before moving to Springfield in 1994.
Trammell has received many awards and national recognition for her work, including the illustration for several regional and national publications, as well as designing a set of figurines for singer and actress Della Reese.
“Humanity has attempted to define art through the ages,” Trammell said in a statement. “From music to painting, from dance to theater, from writing to photography, from sculpture to cooking, art takes on many forms. To me, art is an extension of the artist's heart and soul through the senses. Each artist has his or her own methodology for the work they create. A musician uses the ears, a chef uses the sense of taste and smell combined with touch (texture) and sight; a sculptor uses touch and sight. Some artists use all the senses – I use my eyes.
“The work displayed here is a collection of the world around me as I have observed it throughout my life. It is my hope that I have fostered some inspiration and enjoyment by sharing the beauty of nature and everyday life.”
Jewelry became one of Trammell’s passions in 2000 when she branched out in a three-dimensional direction working with scrimshaw, semiprecious stones and freshwater pearls. She enjoys painting and drawing in graphite, charcoal, pen and ink, watercolor, oil and acrylic, specializing in nature, wildlife, portraits, landscapes and architectural renderings. Trammell is also an accomplished writer and has been published in local and national publications.
Trammell is one of the founding members of Fresh Gallery in Springfield where she continues to show her two-dimensional work and jewelry. She has taught classes at Ozarks Technical Community College and in private settings.
For more information about the exhibit or the SBU art program, contact Dawn Katzer at (417)-328-1651 or dkatzer@SBUniv.edu.