Life change leads local woman to art

Saturday, July 14, 2007

By Steve Moyer

Herald-Tribune

FORT SCOTT, Kan. --Creating art isn't difficult, at least according to Linda Thury-Rogers. The hard part comes in later when artists try to make names for themselves.

"Art is easy, it's a lie to say watercolors are hard to do," Rogers said. "You need to paint what you like. Don't paint something because someone says that is what sells. Don't force it."

Rogers said she added her maiden name because there already was a Linda Rogers who did fiber art and she didn't want to confuse people.

"I wanted to register a domain name and LRogers was already taken, and I found out that there was a Linda Rogers who did fiber art," Rogers said. "Thury is a rare name in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, just about everyone there with that name is related to me. So I decided to add it to my last name."

Rogers started working as an engineer for 3M, but the economy dictated a mid-career change.

"I started working for 3M in Columbia then went to another company," Rogers said. "I met my husband in Columbia, and he's from around here. I was laid off and eligible for career retraining, so I took some courses from Missouri Southern and got my Bachelor of Arts in 1996. I've been painting watercolors ever since. We moved to Arizona, and I joined the Arizona Watercolor Association and began entering shows."

Since then Rogers has continued to enter shows. Two recent ones included the 2006 Watercolor U.S.A. in Springfield and the 2006 Bourbon County Art Show in Fort Scott, Kan., where she won first place in watercolor.

"My most recent show was the 2006 Watercolor U.S.A. in Springfield, Mo., with my painting 'Seal Dive.' 'Seal Dive' was my first painting with the addition of wildlife along with my landscapes. Watercolor U.S.A. was one of my career goals, as it is one of the premiere shows for watercolor painting," Rogers said.

Rogers said she wants to move her career forward, and getting into a gallery is the way she wants to proceed.

"Right now I'm trying to get together a body of work to display in galleries," Rogers said. "Some artists don't like to give 50 percent to the gallery but they have to pay for the rent, the utilities and provide space for the paintings. It's only fair they get their share."

While the art may be easy, making money from it is not. Rogers said that artists who make a living from it are definitely in the minority.

"Less than 5 percent of artists make more than $5,000," Rogers said. "It takes a lot of work to sell your art. It's like looking for a job all the time. "

Despite that Rogers said an artist could be successful without leaving the area.

"You don't have to get into a gallery in San Francisco or New York; the idea that you have to be in New York is obsolete," Rogers said. "The idea that art is an East Coast, West Coast kind of thing no longer applies."

Rogers said that artists need the help of fellow artists to improve their painting and that a group in Arizona helped her.

"What helped me was the critique group in Chandler," Rogers said. "The best way to improve your painting is to have a group of your peers, or better painters, to give you honest criticism. I was in the group in Chandler for five years and my painting improved immensely."

Rogers said artists should price their paintings according to how they stack up against art produced in the area and how much art of the same caliber costs.

"Price your work according to where you are with respect to others in your area, don't sell it for $50," Rogers said.

In addition to producing paintings for art shows, Rogers has been teaching watercolors at various places and likes the interaction with students. She said she'd like to see more places in the Vernon County area where artists could display their works and get feedback.

"Vernon County really needs more art," Rogers said. "There just aren't enough places to display works. And not just here in Nevada. ASteve Moyerll over Vernon County there should be more art."

Rogers will be displaying her artwork at the Vernon County Art Council's space in the Chamber of Commerce offices through the month of July and will give a demonstration during the council's meeting Monday, July 16.

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