Bev Garner with one of her winning colored pencil works currently on exhibit at Warsaw City Hall.

By DARLA MCCAMMON
Lakeland Art Association

Artists, like most people, come in all sizes, shapes, and personalities. Some get very pompous about their talent, never realizing it is a gift, and others remain humble and share their riches generously.

Artist Bev Garner is one of the latter. A beautiful person inside and out, Garner has won many awards for her painstakingly produced art work.

Garner spent her early years in a small community in Henry County where the local school had no art department to fulfill a young student’s desire to learn more. Garner had a natural ability and eventually was able to gain some formal experience under the tutelage of several recognized artists. She was exposed to different media, styles and techniques that dispelled her frustration in her early days of being self-taught.

Garner married and moved to Warsaw where she has lived and raised a family for most of her life. Art has dominated her time throughout those years without diminishing her other responsibilities. A very realistic approach to her subject matter has evolved over time, much to the approval of her customers. Garner is fascinated with the beauty of the outdoors, particularly gardens, wildflowers and all sorts of animals that live in nature.

She kept perfecting her craft until she happened on colored pencils and is now one of the areas’ finest artists to use that medium. The range of possibilities and the results she achieves with her almost-magical pencils is appreciated by all who view her work. You can view it for the next few weeks at the Warsaw City Hall.

As a Signature Artist with the Indiana Wildlife Artist Association, Garner is also an active member of the Lakeland Art Association and the Colored Pencil Society of America. Her credentials are many and you are almost guaranteed to see a Bev Garner award in nearly every competition in which her work is entered.

Upcoming and Current Events:

•The Bev Garner Exhibit opened at Warsaw City Hall Gallery on April 7. Visit Warsaw City Hall Gallery for free 8am to 4:30pm weekdays.
•Small But Mighty is the current theme at Lakeland Art Gallery. An innovative exhibit is filled with art that must be smaller than 12 inches. This is your chance to enter a bidding contest and possibly walk away with work from a noted local artist at a phenomenal price.
•Steve Johnson will speak at Lakeland Art Gallery at 7 p.m. Monday, April 27, about color and value. Johnson is a magnificent artist with an abundance of talent to share. Open to the public.
•Upcoming Competition will be held with the Spring Show at Lakeland Art Gallery. Maple Leaf Farms has offered a generous donation toward a “Best of Show” award and in support of this event at the gallery. Prospectus for the show is available at the gallery located at 107 N. First Street, Pierceton. Work can be submitted on Saturday May 2.
• Upcoming workshops include a Bob Ross, all supplies included, seminar, a kid’s workshop and several more. Call (574) 594-9950 between 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. More info on LAA can be found at www.lakelandartassociation.org or on Facebook.

Contact your author/artist Darla at [email protected]. any time you have comments or questions.