Missouri Artist

You may not know the name, Fred Geary, but this Carroll County artist was a nationally important graphic designer in the first half of the twentieth century. He created an impressive body of fine-art woodcuts and wood engravings that are found in museums and libraries across the United States. 

I drive down a rural country road in Callaway County toward the home and studio of artist Jane Mudd. Jane lives with her husband Tom in a log home deep in the woods, about seven miles from Fulton. I turn up the driveway to the Mudd’s home and notice that the recent rain has left the countryside lush and beautiful. “You caught us dancing!” Jane laughs as I approach, stepping into their outdoor room with a million-dollar view of a verdant valley surrounded by Callaway County’s wooded hills.

“The first piece evolved from me getting older, feeling vulnerable, thinking about the time that has gone by, my career, and if I’m good enough,” he says. “I think the work, all my work, as with all artists, evolved from a real personal place. And that place is usually some type of fear or loneliness.”

Artist Patty Carroll explores themes of women’s identifications to domesticity woven with photographs, fabrics and craft items.

A widower since 2011, Martin still surrounds himself with the stock in the trade of saddle making. His workspace is as much a museum of leather crafting as it is a saddle shop.

Rita Orr has a winsome and whimsical series of silkscreens featuring ladies wearing hats, including Lap of Luxury above, and another colorful series of buildings she has seen, such as bungalows, cozy homes, and others.