Featured Artist

from Downtown Edmond Arts Festival 2023

Welcome to the 2023 Downtown Edmond Arts Festival!

An artist from Ottawa, KS has been chosen as the featured artist for the Downtown Edmond Arts Festival.

Sandy Kay Hunter's painting “Poppies and Wildflowers" will be featured on posters, billboards and advertising for the 45th annual festival.

"The vibrant colors of the poppies provided a wonderful contrast with the cool colors of the grass and wildflowers in the background", said Michelle Schaefer, Festival Co-Chair. "Sandy has been invited to join our festival every year since 2011, so we are excited to be able to feature her work."

Hunter lives in rural Ottawa with her husband, Larry, and many pets. The surrounding countryside and wildlife inspire her.

A self-taught painter, Hunter began her career with watercolors and later branched out to acrylics. "Some consider watercolors difficult to work with," she said. "But I believe they help me become more disciplined. The paint follows the water, so I have to slow down and think about what I was doing." While she enjoys the surprise of watercolors, she also likes the texture and freedom of working with acrylics.

The subject of Hunter's paintings and medium depends on her mood. Out of all the shades of green, there may be one specific one that she looks for ways to use. An interesting tree may quicken her creativity, making it the motif of the day. She has fun experimenting with texture and using tools like palette knives, brushes whatever is handy to get the effect she desires. Her favorite themes are florals, landscapes, birds, and some abstracts.

Hunter has shown her works at various arts festivals in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Colorado and Texas She only displays originals in her booths.