By Martin J. Kidston
Havre resident Becky Ross is already looking forward to next fall, when the 30th annual Havre Art Association holds its Art and Garden tour.
It was the last Art and Garden tour which sparked Ross' imagination, prompting her to paint her prize-winning piece "Morning Light," which captures sweet pea flowers against the back drop of a wooden fence. The painting, done in water color using a multitude of techniques, recently won the People's Choice Award.
"I tried to catch the yellow morning light on the white petals of the flowers," Ross said. "I used a razor to scratch through the paint, and used salt and spattering techniques to get the interesting shapes."
Ross said she's been painting for nearly 15 years, and the progression of her work has seen many changes, including a move from oil paints to water color. Once a student, Ross now teaches painting for adult education classes. But though the medium has changed, as has her focus, her love of art in general remains the same.
Ross said she recently took a trip to Las Vegas, where she had the opportunity to view a private collection. The works consisted of pieces by Van Gogh, Picasso, Gauguin and Claude Monet, whose water lilies inspired Ross' flare for fine art.
"It was truly amazing to see so many renowned works in one collection," Ross said. "You could actually see where these famous painters left their fingerprints in the paint."
