Anita Shikles is not an artist who cranks out generic paintings and etchings in order to fill an art gallery.
“I want my paintings to tell a story or have historic value, even if it’s a painting of an old farm house,” Shikles said in a telephone conversation Tuesday.
Shikles will exhibit her artwork from Sunday through May 10 in the Mary L. Martin Art Gallery at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. Area residents will have an opportunity to visit with Shikles at a reception at 1 p.m. Sunday.
She was born in Eureka Springs, Ark., and for several years was a co-owner of an art gallery in Branson, Mo. Today, she freelances from her home in Kansas City.
Shikles’ show, “In the Garden,” will highlight a number of garden scenes including one with a little girl sitting by a stream. What people may not notice at first glance is that there are also faces of people in the woods behind her, Shikles said.
“I just love flowers and gardens but don’t have a green thumb. I like painting gardens because I find them comforting and a place to escape from the everyday routine,” she said.
A TABLET not often associated with art but common to Shikles is gravestones.
Her picturesque landscapes and personal scenes are etched onto black granite creating a striking piece of art that also serves as a personal memorial. She also works on marble tiles that can be framed and hung.
Shikles became interested in cemetery art when she selected a tombstone for her daughter, who died in 1998 after being diagnosed with leukemia after the birth of her second child.
“I wanted more than a name and dates on my daughter’s marker,” she said.
Throughout the years she has been commissioned to etch cemetery markers with portraits of children, farm scenes, wildlife and pets.
One family who lost their son requested her to etch a guitar and boots on his gravestone. The family said he would spend hours playing is guitar and was never without his cowboy boots.
SHIKLES WILL provide a cemetery art workshop from 9:30 to noon on Saturday in the choir room at the Bowlus.
She will bring some hand tools for participants to try their skill at etching on small pieces of granite. She will also lead a group discussion about artwork and religious symbols found on tombstones in cemeteries.
There is no charge to attend the workshop which will be limited to 20 people. To enroll in the workshop call the Bowlus at 365-4765. Participants will also be excepted the morning of the workshop.
