Theda Rhea paints in her studio in Coleman and teaches art on a limited basis. She works as an accomplished art show judge and demonstrator. Theda will demonstrate painting with pastels on Tuesday.
Rhea studied at Museum School of Art in Houston as well as with internationally known West Coast Artists during a five-year sojourn in Avalon, Calif., on Santa Catalina Island. During this time she developed her distinctive style of painting. Within a three-year period, she won eight combined Best of Show and First Place awards in major juried competitions including the National Orange Show. This led to numerous publications, museum exhibits and one person shows in recognized galleries.
She established studios in Gallup and Santa Fe, N.M., La Junta, Colo., and San Pedro de la Cueva, Mexico. It was at these studios where Rhea perfected her distinctive style that includes vibrant color, essential form and mastery of composition. Her paintings convey a message of humanity as well as her philosophy.
These paintings can be found in numerous private collections throughout the United States and are included in the collections at Texas Tech University, the Nita Stewart Haley Library, Midland and various public institutions in New Mexico and California. Theda's paintings and illustrations have also been published in the United States and Europe.