Erma Auxter is a Master Gardener who has enjoyed growing prickly pear cactus and also shares a fondness for flowers in many of her paintings. She was selected as Artist of the Month for her oil painting “Beauty and the Beast.” Auxter created the piece from a photograph, but minimized the spines of the plant to allow the showy cactus bloom to reign. The painting is on display in the window of the Kirksville Arts Association at 117 S. Franklin St., Kirksville. She has shared her training of art while at Truman State University by teaching students to paint with oil and acrylics in her home. Auxter also paints rural landscapes and homes on commission.
Image © Jana Russon; text by Colleen Wagner