"The Water Mill" Painting

Gary Delancey
I was born in 1962 in Prentiss Ms. I started painting at a young age. I was in my teen years living in Bassfield ms. This is a small rural town we had no art teachers just comic book and a will to draw. One summer an art teacher named Marrion Eyesworth came to teach an art class at our church. she was only going to teach that one summer. The class was such a success she stayed on for four years. after that, I started going to her studio in Columbia ms. about 25 miles from Bassfield. I kind of put art on hold after that for a few years. somewhere around 1985, I meet another art teacher that taught portraits. His name was John Marsh or Brother Marsh he was also a preacher. As a young man, he was an illustrator in New Orleans. He always would say in the good old days all we had was art. Everything was hand painted signs, build boards, windows magazines you name it you had to paint it. I only got to study with him for a short time. less than a year He was very sick and had to stop teaching. I also had to stop painting a family, work and all that goes with it there was on time to paint. I only started back painting about ten years ago. I have seen my art change over that time I think for the better. I paint realism. I'm on the board of directors of the South Mississippi Art Association. My art has been shown at Odd Fellows Gallary in Hattiesburg ms, Artwistic Revolution in Columbia Ms, The Cedars in Jackson Ms. The Peter Anderson show for the Blue Moon, Cress Gallary In Hattiesburg, The Saenger Theatre and Kemper Park Zoo in Hattiesburg Ms.