Monett resident completes 12-painting series of area landmarks

By Jessica Breger Special to the Monett Monthly

Local artist Tina Arnall is making waves with her watercolors around southern Missouri. 

Arnall is gaining attention with her scenes depicting popular locations from Monett and surrounding areas. 

Originally from Manhattan, Kan., Arnall moved from Green Bay, Wis., to Missouri to be closer to family after the passing of her father. 

She has resided in Monett for approximately 17 years now and has found inspiration in the area to return to painting.

Arnall said that although she drew and painted throughout her childhood and even into college, she switched her major to advertising. Her art fell by the wayside, and she had set her brushes down for approximately 30 years following college before finding her passion for it once more.

It all started in 2022 after a trip to visit her sister out of state. After painting her sister’s house as a gift, Arnall’s passion for painting was reignited.

Arnall posted photos of new pieces she created on her social media page and received not only praise, but requests for painting of specific scenes. 

“I started doing some for realtors,” she said. “That’s what I had mostly done for quite a while, but it’s gone on to other things where people want scenes of different places or things.It’s grown into something I just didn’t expect.”

Following several commissioned pieces from around the Monett area, Arnall decided she wanted to do a Monett-centered project celebrating the town that has become home to her.

Arnall said when she first moved to the area, she was warned that it may never feel like home and she may always be seen as an outsider. 

“I didn’t like that, so I had to make it home, and I had to look for the beauty,” she said. “What I like about Monett is the friendliness and how I’ve grown to make it home. When I started the Monett project, I was just going to paint four scenes, but then thought that I should do a calendar so I ended up painting twelve.”

It was suggested that she paint some downtown scenes, so she painted a few of those and added some other scenes from the area. It all came together in about two weeks.

Arnall said she feels that her paintings resonate with local residents because she is painting familiar scenes from their lives. 

“The sledding hill one, that is by far everybody’s favorite because they have memories with it,” she said. “I have just one memory of it, and that’s with my son. He’s actually in the painting, too.”

Arnall recounted how people have approached her commenting that they still sled on that very same hill, calling it a “timeless” tradition.

Arnall chose locations for this project that had meaning to the community and places she shared memories with her own son. 

“I tried to think of things like where people go and what people enjoy about the town, “ she said.

Arnall’s prints are displayed and for sale at Great Dave’s Coffee, online at watercolorsbytina.com, on her social media pages and on Etsy. 

Looking toward the future Arnall hopes to paint floral scenes and continue painting scenes that connect people with the towns they call home.