Stillwater artist showcases ‘Life’s Passion’ at OSU

Oil paintings’ proceeds benefit Doel Reed Center for the Arts

Velma Sanders’ “Life’s Passion” will be displayed in the Oklahoma State University Foundation’s Malinda Berry Fischer Gallery through June 16. The free opening reception will be April 15 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Foundation on 400 S. Monroe.

“Being an artist and painting with oils has been a passion my whole life,” Sanders said.

She found her passion at a young age when she studied the family’s 12 volume set of encyclopedias, which featured paintings by renowned artists.

“I wanted to paint just like them,” Sanders said.

Studying the use of color and form by artists like Michelangelo, Rubin and Monet, Sanders found her passion.

The school she attended as a child did not offer art, so Sanders’ mother found a teacher 60 miles away in Topeka, Kan., to encourage her daughter’s passion. Once a week for six weeks they traveled to visit Ethel Laughead. These lessons were Sanders’ first formal education on composition and mixing colors. Her mother paid for the lessons with fresh eggs and young chicken fryers.

Sanders and her husband, Tom, have been married for 60 years and have five children. In the early years of their marriage, they moved often until they came to Stillwater in 1972.

“We love it here,” Sanders said. “Living between three large cities that we can go to for the galleries and museums and still enjoy all this community has to offer. Our home is located in the country where we can see birds, animals and nature. Many of my ideas for painting come from driving in this area.”

When her last child moved out, Sanders retired from Avon where she was a district sales manager for 29 years and joined the Stillwater Art Guild, which she has been president of for at least eight years. At that point, she finally had time to study, practice and develop her talent.

“I would take different workshops and attend the Art Guild demonstration meetings to help me learn more,” Sanders said.  “I also did and do a lot of reading and studying other artist technique. I am still learning in the medium, it is a continuous thing.”

“Life’s Passion” will showcase the variety of Sanders’ paintings, including portraits, animals, still life floral and landscapes.

“I do everything,” Sanders said. “Every painting I do is a challenge and offers different problems to solve. My love of color and how the light hits different things just brings me so much joy. I need to live to be 120 to get all my reference material and ideas done.”

Twenty percent of the proceeds will be donated to Doel Reed Center for the Arts. The Center is an interdisciplinary creativity center offering continuing education in the arts. Sanders considers her donation to be her contribution to the Center.

“I am passionate about anything that helps to promote art and its value,” Sanders said. “This seemed like an easy way to spread the word.”

Named in honor of the Foundation’s former board chairman, the Malinda Berry Fischer Gallery showcases Oklahoma and OSU artists. The gallery serves to strengthen the connection between Oklahoma State University and the OSU Foundation. The gallery is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The OSU Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor and university passions and priorities to achieve excellence.

Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, Oklahoma State University is a five-campus, public land-grant educational system that improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach.  OSU has more than 32,000 students across its system and nearly 21,000 on its Stillwater campus; with students from all 50 states and around 110 nations.  Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world.

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