Escape Through Art

Creating an original piece of art work is a great way to release the weeks stresses and strengthen inner creativity. This week the Wentzville Patch is heading to a  art gallery for personalized painting and drawing lessons with an inspiring twist that will make you want to get involved in a good cause.  

Carol Marriott runs the small Barton Creek Gallery located off Josephville Road. The Gallery is truly a gem waiting to be discovered with creative and colorful original designs lining the walls inside her space. She has an imaginative eye for using bright colors on traditional landscapes as well as still-life’s and enjoys working with individuals that have little or no experience in the area of bright color application.  

A career change took Marriott from her life as an educated gemologist to her full time painting career. Classes are flexible and are usually held on the day of your choosing. The classes start at two hours and can continue for up to four weeks. She provides students with a small list of supplies they should purchase and bring with them on the first day of class. 

Barton Creek Gallery’s instructional painting classes are perfect for adults wishing to advance basic skills and are very personalized with one-on-one attention. Marriott instructs in basic drawing techniques and uses acrylic paint as the medium of choice in her classes since its relatively inexpensive and dries quickly. 

Marriott is also the vice president of the international organization Farmers Without Fences. This is a Christian non-profit organization with a basic mission statement that states the group is "dedicated to providing nutritional, emotional, and spiritual guidance to orphaned, institutionalized and abandoned children in the region of Eastern Europe."

Some of the countries she directly works in are Moldovia and the Ukraine. She does this by teaching basic skill classes, such as sewing and agricultural development, to young kids inside the orphanages themselves. This is done at a critical age before the children reach the limit of their stay inside the orphanage facility and are forced to live a life of independence on the streets.

 All proceeds from Marriott's artwork goes towards her organization. She is passionate about helping young people advance themselves from the limitations of poverty by providing them with an outlet to learn basic societal skills. She also holds events each year in which she raises money through the auctioning of private and personal art for the needs of this powerful organization.

For more information on class prices, contact Marriott at 636-332-9707