Monty Jones First Place in Mixed Media and Other category

Published Aug. 14, 2014, in Terre Haute Tribune-Star

Wildlife artists’ work on display in Indiana Wildlife exhibit in Indy

Artwork by Wabash Valley artists Monty Jones, Deborah Anderson, Judith Lynn Smith and Stephen Harrold is on display through Sept. 25 with the 31st Annual Indiana Wildlife Artists Exhibit in Second Presbyterian Church, at 7700 N. Meridian St., in Indianapolis.

At an Aug. 2 opening ceremony, judges awarded Jones first place honors in the Mixed Media and Other category for his “Gamebird of Montana” entry featuring a sharptailed grouse.

Also in the Mixed Media and Other category, Anderson received second place for her “In the Grasslands” intarsia entry featuring an India Bengal tiger, a third place for “Whose Who” featuring nine different species of owls, and an honorable mention for “Beauty of Butterflies” featuring nine types of American butterflies.

Jones, a founding member of River City Art Association Inc., paints wildlife and landscapes in acrylic in his Terre Haute studio. He also works with colored pencil and practices pyrography (pokerwork or woodburning).

Anderson’s inlaid wood designs have won numerous best of show, first place and people’s choice awards in local, regional and statewide competitions. The recently retired Vigo County teacher also designs doors, murals, portraits and abstract pieces.

This is the first year for Smith to have three of her oil paintings juried in the show that is judged by expert representatives for the fine arts and wildlife naturalist professions. The Waveland resident is a member of RCAA, Wabash Valley Art Guild, Arts Illiana, Swope Art Museum and other artist organizations.

Oil paintings of a wolf and gorilla by Harrold, of Terre Haute, also were juried into the exhibition.

Indiana Wildlife Artists members are dedicated to promoting wildlife and nature art as Fine Art. For more, visit indianawildlifeartists.org.