The walls and floors of the Selma Art Guild will soon be filled with vibrant portraits and breathtaking encaustic paintings.

Kellie Newsome, artist and teacher, is the Selma Art Guild’s artist of the month and will have her artwork on display throughout November. She will begin setting up her artwork today and will host an open reception Sunday at 2 p.m.

Newsome, who currently lives in Prattville, mainly works with acrylic, oil and experimental encaustic mediums.

“She does everything from realism and still life up to some very experimental things that would really expand your appreciation for art,” said Gerry Anderson, Art Guild member. “She gives a young and kind of fresh perspective to the art scene.”

Newsome graduated from Troy University with a bachelor in fine arts. Along with teaching classes, she is a member of the Montgomery Art Guild, Prattville Arts Council, Montgomery Arts Association and the Selma Art Guild.

“The exhibit showcases two different styles of my personal work,” Newsome said. “One of which is vibrant portraits and the other is encaustic.”

Encaustic painting is an ancient art form developed by the Greeks, she explained.

“I use it in a textural manner” she said. “It’s very hard to work with.”

Anderson said he likes to bring artists like Newsome to Selma because they offer a different perspective on art.

“Typically in Selma, people tend to appreciate landscapes and portraits and just your more ‘old school’ style of work,” Anderson said. “Kellie gives a younger and fresher, edgier kind of perspective to art.”

And Newsome is no stranger to the butterfly capital. She won first place for ‘Works on Paper’ in the annual Summer Juried Art Show, held in Selma.

“What we like to do—especially for those who are new to the art scene in Selma—we like to have them back so they can do a show and people can see their work,” Anderson said.

Newsome’s artwork can be viewed at the Selma Art Guild, 508 Selma Ave., every Thursday and Friday of this month from noon to 4 p.m. There is no cost to view the exhibit.

“We’re just trying to do a lot of things to really expose people to art,” Anderson said. “We just want to keep that art tradition that we have in Selma going.”