Non-profit arts organization in Lebanon, Missouri

My Life as an Artist - By Deanna Frances Akers Stuckey/Johnson

I have been involved in art all my life - drawing, coloring, and, later,  painting with water colors, chalk, and oils.  In high school, I designed and made most of my clothes. In college, I majored in Art with a minor in Design, with an emphasis on Fashion Design.  As an adult, I got into crafts, decorative art, and designing doll clothes.  After I married, we farmed in Mercer County in Northern Missouri, and I didn’t have much time to paint, especially after adopting three kids in 1969-70.  In 1979, we moved to Dallas County and living near Bennett Spring become a favorite place for me to go for peace, quiet, and inspiration.  I have done many paintings of the different land marks along the spring branch. 

To me there is nothing more quieting to the soul than being out in nature and listening to the gurgle and splash of a waterfall. I studied water and painted 13 waterfall and rippling streams in 2012 and 2013.  I wanted to portray the actual feeling water stirred in me.  As I enter my senior years, I enjoy painting nature, flowers, water, and landscapes. Right now I am painting animals and barns.

I enjoy teaching others. I taught K-12 in two public schools in Northern Missouri. I taught decorative painting, oil, and watercolor classes at my own studio - Painters Retreat. I exhibited at the Ozark Empire Fair and won several first place prizes and grand champion in 2014, 2015, and 2022. I have had paintings selected for the Juried Senior Show in Springfield, MO.  I have also taught art classes to 4-H members and art workshops at State 4-H events.