Encouragement from her husband caused Cassie Beeson to resume painting. Placings in the county and then the state fairs gave her more confidence. Beeson is from Meeker, Oklahoma. Her paintings of people in the outdoors are displayed this month at Graceful Arts Gallery in Alva.

"I've always had a love for art," said Beeson. "I would always kind of doodle here and there. When I was in high school, I would doodle on my homework. I had a very sweet teacher that showed it to the art teacher when then became very interested in my work just off my doodles."

Beeson was put in the advanced drawing and...