| “One of the biggest perks of being an artist is that everybody likes you. I love to travel, see the countryside and meet folks while I’m ‘working.’ I’ve made a lot of friends along the way. I’ve yet to meet anyone who despises artists.” Louise Thies is a Signature Member of NOAPS (National Oil and Acrylic Painter’s Society,) Associate Member of OPA (Oil Painters of America,) Associate Member of WAOW (Women Artists of the West,) Associate Member of APA (American Plains Artists,) and several regional art organizations. Her work has been selected for countless national juried shows, one-woman shows, numerous awards, and she has been included in many selective events. She is represented by several galleries.
The Early Years Come Full Circle Her art habit began in her early childhood in Houston, Texas, when she was consumed with copying the Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck that were on her hand-me-down chalkboard instead of practicing the alphabet. She pursued art as a passion, but her careers veered in other directions, until finally coming full circle and colliding. A hobby turned into a fulltime business when she opened a taxidermy shop in rural Missouri in the early ’80s. Her drive to succeed earned her over thirty awards and the title “Master Taxidermist.” While pursuing a degree in biology, she was required to take a humanities class. With two credits to go, Art Appreciation compelled her to change majors, start over and graduate cum laude with an Art Education degree. She chose to create art, rather than teach. Her passion is plein air painting. She also etches her artwork on granite, by hand, for several monument companies.
Louise Thies’ artwork can be found in the collections of Big Cedar Lodge — Where Memories Become Traditions; Jason and Catherine Ryan — Producer in Washington DC for ABC News, Manager for PD & F Arm of Bechtel in Frederick, MD respectively; Clay and Tonya Self — the singing comedic cowboy; Peggy Rice of the Rice Gallery in Overland Park, KS; Mr. & Mrs. Jon Bledsoe – Field Rep for US Rep Roy Blunt; Norman and Joan Kinsey of the Kinsey Ranch; Eagle Plume’s of Allenspark, CO; Steve D’lack of the Hawthorn Galleries; and collections throughout the US. Exhibitions2011 ‘Kansas-150′ - Celebrating 150 Years of Statehood - Art Exhibit and Sale, SouthWind Gallery, Topeka, KS ’15th Annual Plein Air Artists Colorado-PAAC’ – Juried Members Show, SAKS Galleries, Denver, CO ‘WAOWing the Lone Star State’ – Women Artists of the West, Rockport Center for the Arts, Rockport, TX ‘Salon International’ - Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX ‘Paint the Forest’ - National Tour
2010 Big Cedar Lodge Plein Air Event, Paint Out, Show and Sale, Branson, MO Visions of the Flinthills, Kansas Park Trust Juried Fine Art Exhibit and Sale, Buttonwood Art Space, Kansas City, MO American Plains Artists, 26th Annual Juried Exhibit & Sale, Great Plains Art Museum, Lincoln, NE WAM – Women Artists of the Midwest, 3rd Annual Invitational, Hawthorn Galleries, Springfield, MO ’14th Annual Plein Air Artists Colorado-PAAC’ - Juried Members Show, SAKS Galleries, Denver, CO ‘WAOWing the Golden State’ - Women Artists of the West, Olaf Wieghorst Museum, El Cajon, CA Heart of America Artists’ Rendezvous and Paint-Out, Sponsored by HAAA and The Peel Compton Foundation, Bentonville, AR ‘Nomadas Del Arte’ - The Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TX ‘Visions of the New Decade’ - NOAPS Invitational Signature Artists’ Show, CAC Gallery at Estes Park, CO ‘Colors of the Ozarks’ - Fine Art Exhibit and Sale, MacCreeds Gallery, Lebanon, MO ‘Augusta Plein Air Paint Out Show and Sale’ - Augusta, COC, Augusta, MO 2009 WAM – Women Artists of the Midwest, 2nd Annual Invitational Exhibition, Hawthorn Galleries, Springfield, MO Visions of the Flinthills, Kansas Park Trust Juried Fine Art Exhibit and Sale, Buttonwood Art Space, Kansas City, MO Colorado Mountain Plein Air Festival, Art Show and Sale, Hosted by Virtuosity Gallery, Salida, CO Best of Missouri – NOMO & NOAPS, Juried Art Exhibit, Marceline, MO PAAC – Plein Air Artists of Colorado Juried Members Art Exhibit and Sale, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO American Royal Western Art Show & Gala, Juried Fine Art Auction and Sale, Kansas City, MO Colors of the Ozarks, Fine Art Exhibit and Sale, Lebanon, MO American Plains Artists Celebrating 25 Years, Juried Exhibit, Museum of the Midwest, Midland, TX A Painting Adventure North Missouri Art Center, Marceline, Missouri Paint America Third Annual 2nd 100 www.PaintAmerica.org In Plein Thin Air or Two Wild Women Paint the Rockies, Strecker-Nelson Gallery, Manhattan, Kansas 2008NOAPS Signature Artist Invitational Exhibit, ARTichokes Gallery-sponsor, Leawood, Kansas Women Artists of the Midwest, Hawthorn Gallery, Springfield, Missouri-sponsor, gallery owner Steve Dlack, Invitational Inaugural Show KU Plein Air Event, Show and Sale, Framewoods Gallery of Topeka and KU sponsored event, Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas, gallery owner Gary Blitsch American Plains Artists 24th Annual Juried Exhibit, Museum of the Southwest, Midland, Texas, National Juried Show Mountain Summertime, Women Artist of the West, Joyous Lake Gallery, Pinetop, Arizona, National Juried Member’s Show Plein Air Artists of Colorado, Abend Gallery, Denver, Colorado, Juried Members Show Two Person Show, Rolla Center for the Arts, Rolla, Missouri, Invitational Celebrate Freedom, Bellweather Gallery, Springfield, Missouri, Regional Juried Show Grand National Art Show and Sale, Cow Palace, Daly City (San Francisco,) California, Invitational Juried Show Meet the Artist, The Hawthorn Gallery, Springfield, Missouri, Featured Artist 2007 Best of America! 2007 NOAPS (National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society,) Bolivar, Missouri, Ella Carouthers Dunnegan Gallery of Art, Curator Jo Roberts; Sedalia, Missouri, Katy Depot Historic Site; Osage Beach, Missouri, Thompson Hall; National Juried Show Estes Park Plein Air Event 2007 The Link Gallery-sponsor, Estes Park, colorado, gallery owner Rebecca Barrett, National Juried Show and Event American Plains Artist 23rd Annual Juried Exhibit Loch Vale Fine Art-gallery sponsor, Brian Mack, National Juried Show Plein Air Plus The Keyes Gallery, Springfield, Missouri, director Billy Spicer, Regional Invitational Paint the Square Springfield Regional Arts Council and the Urban Districts Alliance, Springfield, Missouri, Invitational Show Augusta’s 5th Annual Plein Air Event Chamber of Commerce sponsored, Augusta, Missouri Regional Show and Sale NOMO Paint Out North Missouri Arts Council, Marceline, Missouri, Regional Show Springfield Plein Air Show The Waverly House, Sprinfield, Missouri, Regional Juried Show Artwalk, North Missouri Arts Council, Marceline, Missouri, Regional Show Meet the Artists, Sprinfield, Missouri, The Waverly House, Regional Invitational Show 2006Manifestation of Expressive Minds Rozier Gallery, Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, Jefferson City, Missouri, Curator Linda Endersby, Two-Woman Show NOAPS in Kansas Sponsored by the National Oil and Acrylic Painter’s Society, Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, Coordinator, National Invitational Plein Air Event, Show and Sale Mountainside Miniatures Mountainside Art Guild and Foothills Art Center, Littleton, Colorado, National Juried Show and Sale Prairie Art Plein Air Event Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Chase County, Kansas Regional Show/Event/Sale Branson Fest Sponsored by Branson Lakes Area Chamber, Branson, Missouri, Regional Invitational Dunklin Street Gallery Jefferson City, Missouri, gallery proprietor–Dottie Ewers, Two-Woman Show Artwalk, North Missouri Arts Council, Marceline, Missouri, Regional Show Pre-2006 (a selection)Best of America! 2005 & 2004 NOAPS (National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society,) Bolivar, Missouri, Ella Carouthers Dunnegan Gallery of Art, Curator — Jo Straeder, National Juried Show Art of the Plains, American Plains Artists, Amarillo, Texas, Kwahadi Kiva Indian Museum, National Juried Show Along the Missouri En Plein Air Event, Hermann, Missouri, Hermann Missouri Chamber, Regional Show and Event Jazzing Through the Arts 13th Annual, Breckenridge, Texas, Breckenridge Fine Arts Center, National Juried Show Artwest Jackson, Wyoming, Artwest Gallery, National Juried Show Wildlife West Festival, Redlands, California, San Bernardino Museum, National Juried Show MembershipsNOAPS (National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society) Juried, Signature Member WAM (Women Artists of the Midwest) Founding Member, Signature Member OPA (Oil Painters of America) Juried, Associate Member WAOW (Women Artists of the West) Juried, Associate Member APA (American Plains Artists) Juried, Associate Member PAAC (Plein Air Artists Colorado) Juried, Signature Member NOMO (North Missouri Arts Council) SPA (Springfield Painters Association) BibliographySeriously? You made it this far? 2010 and beyond will have to wait. I think you’re the only one. “Local Artist…” Lake Sun Weekend, Sept 3-4, 2010 “Women Artists at Hawthorn,” News, Art of the West, Nov/Dec 2009 “Women Artists of the West,” 2009 Guidebook of Art, Art of the West “Remainder,” The Manhattan Mercury, Jan 31, 2009 “Manhattan: ‘In Plein Thin Air,” Art Exhibit, The Topeka Capital-Journal, Jan 26, 2009 “Strecker Nelson Gallery Presents ‘In Plein Thin Air’ or ‘Two Wild Women Paint the Rockies’,” Art Forum, Art of the West, Jan/Feb 2009 “Best of the Best,” NOAPS Signature Artists Invitational Exhibit Catalog 2008
“Celebrating Women Artists,” Community Free Press, Springfield, Missouri, Nov 5-18, 2008 Joyce Miller, “The Great Paint Out at Ha Ha Tonka,” Lake Sun, Camdenton, Missouri, August 22, 2008 “Mountain Summertime – Women Artists of the West,” Art of the West, July/August 2008 “American Plains Artists,” Western Art Collector, July 2008 “Women Artists of the West,” Horses in Art, Summer 2008 “Hawthorn Gallery Presents Louise Thies and Don Goin,” It’s All Downtown, Urban District Alliance, Feb 2008 Eric Olsen, “Capturing the Wild,” Springfield Business Journal, Art Review, Jan 28, 2008 Samantha Edmondson, “A Stroke of Excellence,” Lake Lifestyles Magazine, Osage Beach, Missouri, Nov/Dec 2007 “A Tradition of Excellence,” NOAPS Society Best of America! 2007 Exhibit Catalog 2007 Jennifer Bondurant, “Blossoming Art Scene,” Kansas City Home and Gardens Prairie Village, Kansas, September 2007 “Estes Park Plein Air 2007,” Southwest Art September 2007 Jennifer Bondurant, “Blossoming Art Scene, St Louis Home and Lifestyles, St. Louis, Missouri, September 2007 Frank Johnson, “Local Artist Chosen for Colorado Gallery,” Lake Sun Leader, Camdenton, Missouri, August 17-18, 2007 Chris Ankeney, “Artful Happenings,” North Missouri Arts Council Newsletter, Marceline, Missouri, Summer 2007 Frank Johnson, “Into Plein Air,” Lake Sun Leader, Camdenton, Missouri, June 29-30, 2007 “Local Paint Out,” Linn County Leader, Brookfield, Missouri, May 21, 2007 “Louise Thies Webb, Lyn Phariss, Manifestation of Expressive Minds,” Rozier Gallery 2006 Exhibitors Catalog, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Jefferson City, Missouri 2006 Prairie Art Plein Air Event Exhibition Catalog, Peggy Rice and The Rice Gallery, Chase County, Kansas 2006 Elise K. Long, “Nature Lover,” Featured Artist, The Lake Observer, Vol. 1, Issue 2, Lake Ozark, Missouri, April 2006 Noelle Caylor, “Focusing on the Arts,” Branson Daily News, Branson, Missouri, April 6, 2006 “BAC Open House,” Branson Daily News, Branson, Missouri, November 8, 2005 “A Tradition of Excellence,” NOAPS Society Best of America! 2005 Exhibit Catalog 2005 Sony Hocklander, “Battlefield Subject in National Art Exhibit,” News-leader, Springfield, Missouri, September 30, 2005 “‘Forsaken’–Wilson Creek Battlefield on Canvas,” Lake Sun, Camdenton, Missouri, September 28, 2005 “Webb’s ‘Forsaken’ Repeats Best List,” WestSide Star, Laurie, Missouri, September 14, 2005 “Best of America 2005 Artists Named,” NOAPS Palette Gazette, Osage Beach, Missouri, August, 2005 Brian Day, “Capturing Nature,” Linn County Leader, Brookfield, Missouri, February 18, 2005 “BEST of America 2004,” The National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society Exhibition Catalog, 2004 Sarah Shumaker, “From Childhood Art to Wining Awards,” The Lake News Focus, Osage Beach, Missouri, October 6, 2004 “Jazzing Through the Art,” 13th Annual Juried Art Event Catalog, Breckenridge, Texas, September – October, 2004 “Camdenton’s Webb Selected for Show,” WestSide Star, Laurie, Missouri, September 8, 2004 “Paintings Selected for National Fine Art Exhibition,” NOAPS Palette Gazette, Osage Beach, Missouri, August, 2004 Awards and HonorsPaint the Forest 2010 - 2011 – Bronze Medal — Region II & Top 50 – Redwood Forest Foundation Colorado Mountain Plein Air Festival 2009 — Third Place Award, Salida & Buena Vista, Colorado 2009Paint America Top 100 Third Annual 2nd 100 — Paint America Association Signature Member Status. NOAPS — National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society, Osage Beach, Missouri, 2007 Artist’s Choice Award. NOMO Plein Air Paint Out, Marceline, Missouri, 2007 First Prize. Paint the Square, Springfield Regional Arts Council and the urban Districts Alliance, Springfield, Missouri 2007 Pre-2007 (a selection)Top 100 Federal Duck Stamp Competition, United States Department of the Interior Second Place, Missouri Trout Stamp Competition, Missouri Department of Conservation First Prize, Eckrich Art Contest, Armour-Eckrich Meats LLC, Lisle, Illinois Second Place, Missouri Duck Stamp Competition, Missouri Department of Conservation Third Place, Florida Duck Stamp Competition, Florida Department of Fish and Game EducationArt Department, Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, BS in Art Education (K-12,) cum laude, 1994
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