Marita Gentry is the owner of Studio Marita, a teaching and painting studio in Walker, Louisiana. She is a self taught professional artist and illustrator. She has lived in Walker for the last 17 years.  She was born in southern Missouri and lived in many different places, but settled in her beloved  south to be near family. 

      Over the years her creative desires have led her in the exploration of many painting and drawing mediums, on many different and unusual surfaces.  She has finally discovered a unique medium to showcase her art voice.  Liquid acrylics used on canvas with traditional watercolor techniques over a textured gesso. This process allows her to layer many transparent washes in creating a painting.  The many layers of washes add depth and a unique abstraction to her landscapes, floral, and figurative work.  

      Marita is inspired by the places she visits, keeping many sketchbooks and taking many photographs.  She uses these for inspiration, but rarely for complete finished paintings.   Her love for color is evident in all her artwork. Her subjects are as varied as a lifetime of snapshots. But yet, connected by the style and rendering of layers and layers of transparent washes. Her images of life around her has created a strong following of clients.  She is currently represented  at Circa 1857 and Acadian Frame and Art.

      Marita is on the  Baton Rouge Arts Council Artist Roster as a teaching professional artist .   She  specializing in children classes and artist-in-resident programs for  schools.  She also creates murals in collaboration with children in the local schools.  Marita has 10 large scale murals in the southern Louisiana public schools.

      Marita is also a children’s book illustrator with the just released Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach, and The Cajun Cornbread Boy (from spring 2009), both by Pelican Publishing.  She has more books forthcoming in 2010.

     Marita has won have many awards over the years. She has entered and participated in many local and national shows. Marita is pursuing more illustrating and gallery opportunities while she continues to paint and show her paintings.