Vicki Burnett, a local Starkville artist, enjoys painting and sells her work around Starkville through Facebook and commissions.
Burnett attended Hinds Community College and Mississippi State University where she took several classes to enhance her education in art. Burnett said she has always been passionate about art.
“I’ve always been very visually observant.  I can still remember paintings or designs that I observed as a small child.  I’ve always drawn, but during college I took several classes in painting, art history and design to further my education in art.  Even now, I still enjoy taking workshops and trying new techniques,” she said.
Burnett began painting in junior high and took lessons from a Louisville artist, Melanie McNeil. She went on to become a full-time teacher and mother. Although she stays busy with teaching, she still loves to paint in her spare time. She said she enjoys painting in the comfort of her own home.
“Usually, I work from my studio in the bonus room or at our kitchen table. I love to paint my own children, favorite outdoor scenes, old homes and even antique cars,” she said.
Burnett participated in the Juried Art Show through the Cotton District Art Festival and has received purchase prizes and awards for the past two years. She has also given painting demonstrations through Art in the Garden.
Burnett said she is passionate about art and enjoys being able to share what she sees with others. She said drawing is satisfying and a blessing from God.
“I think my own joy in art comes from honing the skills with which I’ve been blessed.  There’s a wonderful satisfaction in trying to skillfully represent the beauty that I see in a person’s face or in my surroundings.  I never do justice to God’s creation, but I have a blast trying,” she said.
Burnett said she believes we can all make our own version of beauty through art.
“I would just reiterate that I truly believe that there’s an artist lurking in all of us.  We just have to open our eyes to the beauty of the world and express our own version of it,” she said.