Aaron Horrell is juried in photography, painting, and studio (Barbaron minis).

I have been painting pictures and selling my artwork since graduating high school in 1970. My paintings are generally considered as ‘impressionistic’ in style and have a landscape format. Some are realistic and some are surreal. I’m a member of The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. I’m a past president of The Sikeston Art League.  As a nature photographer I belong to River Region Photography Association. I write a weekly feature for Southeast Missourian newspaper called ‘THROUGH THE WOODS”.  My paintings have won numerous awards over the years.

As a member of the U.S Navy Seabees during the Vietnam War era, I painted several indoor murals on walls at bases where I was stationed. I sold and gave away dozens of paintings, while in the Navy. After my enlistment, I returned home and continued to paint. I applied for admission to Cincinnati Art Institute. I was informed after applying that my art work met their standards; but since I graduated from Leopold, Missouri High School, in a class of 15 students, I was denied admission because my high school was too small! This bothered me and I sent them a follow-up letter informing them that if they lived long enough, they would hear about me. This gave me incentive to keep practicing art as a self-taught artist. The only art lessons I have ever had were as a high school senior at Leopold. My high school art teacher remains one of my biggest fans.

I have owned Painted Wren Art Gallery https://www.facebook.com/PaintedWrenArtGallery  in Cape Girardeau, Missouri since 2009. We only sell artwork created by local artists from the Southeast Missouri area.

Beginning in 2015, fellow artist Barb Bailey and I developed an idea we call “Paint for a Cause”. For three years we raised money by doing Paint for a Cause projects for local charities such as St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Cape Girardeau Veterans Home, Safe House for Women, and more. https://www.facebook.com/Paint4ACause Paint for a Cause allows anyone the opportunity to donate $1 to a cause and paint a small area on a large painting. Money raised and the completed painting always goes to the charity. Our largest Paint for a Cause so far was started in April 2019 and was completed in June 2021. It culminated in a masterpiece painted by 16,116 people from across the state of Missouri. The finished mural measures 12 feet X 30 feet. It is called the Missouri Bicentennial Mural. This historic mural can be found in its permanent home inside the Truman Building in Jefferson City. More information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/MissouriBicentennialPaintForACause

To date, Barb Bailey and I have written, illustrated, and published 14 children’s books, 4 coloring books, 2 poem books, and 1 picture book. https://www.facebook.com/Barb.Aron.minis  https://www.facebook.com/Alison.Barbaron Expect many more children’s books to come!