The late Frances Drew, Shreveport painter, multi-faceted artist and minister, 1949 - 2007

frances, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Frances Drew was an enormously productive painter known for her bold and color-rich scenes of regional life and images of suffering.

She gave her time and vast talent - singing, preaching, painting - to the community. I remember the year she had a grant to speak to high school students about how she painted. After the talk, she donated a vivid painting to the school. In it a black girl stands at a crossroads on a muddy, clay road deep in the Pine woods. The girl is dressed nicely; she is on her way to a mission church on foot.

Once I was showing a French exchange student around Shreveport. Stopping at Frances' house we entered a world of stacked canvasses and card tables strewn with paints and brushes. There was little furniture but a stream of talk from Frances furnished the house nicely.

Before we left Frances presented the student with a small painting of a girl dancing. I was touched by her generosity. I wanted to say to the French student, "Express your thanks! Do not take this loving act for granted." I doubt that Frances felt that way. I think she knew not to expect much, but to be happy and quenched by her own act of kindness.