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According to Carl Thorp, a late artist who moved to the parish to paint many years ago, this area has some of the most talented and creative people around. This is displayed at the annual Washington Art Association group art show and sale, which features the work of local artists and craftspeople.

Donna Bateman Kilbourne, a native of Washington Parish and a long-time resident of Clinton, will be one of 25 or more artists to have art work at the Sunday, March 27, show, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m.

After beginning as a self-taught oil painter in 1997, as work and family allowed, Kilbourne pursued her art with lessons and workshops from an array of local and national artists.

“I come from a background of little to no exposure to art in the traditional sense. I was, however, taught to appreciate the beauty of both nature and works of human hand,” she said. “I paint for the joy of painting. While I admire those who paint in a photo-realism style, I love the energy, movement, and color of the impressionist paintings.

“Painting is a magic show. The duty of the artist is to make the ordinary beautiful. You can’t paint reality — you paint the illusion of reality.”

This talented painter’s work has appeared in Art Galleries & Artist of the South, American Art Collector and Southwest Art magazines. Her paintings have been juried into a number of art shows and hang in homes and businesses from Arizona to Massachusetts. Her work in oil and pastel is shown at Gallery at Main Street and Elizabethan Gallery in Baton Rouge, and Charter Street Studios in Jackson, La.

She is a member of Associated Women in the Arts, and former member of the Louisiana Art and Artists Guild and Mississippi Art Colony. She is also a member of the Washington Art Association.

More examples of her paintings can be seen at her website, www.donnakilbourne.com.

The show and sale will once again be at the home of Co-Chairman Sara Nelson, 28035 Winfred Bateman Road, across from Sherman’s store in Clifton. The show was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 virus.

There will be paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolor and others, as well as pottery, wood art, decorative painting and jewelry. A great time for a spring ride to the country and everyone is invited to attend. There is no charge for the show and refreshments will be served.

In addition to Kilbourne, others who will have work at the show include Ann Warner, Sara Nelson, Lenora Frazier, Janis Fisher, Kaye Williams, Christine Beatty, Terry Seal, Johnny Green, Violeta Thomas, Sherri Brown, Lander Thomas, Jane Chapman, Dr. Jerry Thomas, Monica Wood, Abigail Creel, Shelia Fortenberry, Ruby Bickham, Sylvia Dugas, Terri Russell, Ellen Barrett, Curtis Creel, Bob Ann Breland, Sandra Stewart, Theresa Wascom, Lora Lynn Fendlason, Genevieve Brannan and Lisa Sprehe.

This article was written by Bob Ann Breland, for The Daily News.