Carla Davis was born in Houston, Texas. She has spent the majority of her adult life based in the Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, area.

Carla’s home and studio border a protected wetland area, where she observes local wildlife up close every day. This proximity provides inspiration from nature and excellent references for her art. Although she is just a few steps from her back door to Louisiana’s unique beauty, she has traveled to many other locations around the U.S. for years gathering reference material. She takes photographs, videos, notes and sketches everywhere she goes. Her primary medium is acrylic and she paints a variety of subjects. The two main categories of her work are people and animals. Her art depicting people is open ended and unlimited in scope, expressing the human condition or the human experience, but is not bound by either. Her animal art includes wildlife and domestic, with both exhibiting nature’s beauty and conveying the emotional connection between animals and people. Creating art with local birds in northwest Louisiana continues to be dominant in her wildlife work. While raising her children and a career with the U.S. District court for 28 years, she began painting initially on her own. Since then, she has taken many workshops from well known artists. In her community, she has consistently painted with different groups of artists and local instructors, continues to participate in two of her community’s art clubs and their annual shows. She has been the recipient of The People’s Choice Award in those shows several times. She has judged a local art show and several congressional art contests. She has been a juried artist in 12 nationally juried shows. Her style has been described as impressionistic and dreamy, with a realistic element. Her connection to where she lives has definitely impacted her Louisiana and southern inspired work. Carla’s family connection to Santa Fe, NM, started a pull for her in a western perspective four decades ago. Those influences and her experiences since then are also reflected in her art.

Exhibitions 

2026 41st Annual Bosque Art Classic, at the Bosque Arts Center in Clifton, Texas. The show opening is September 12, 2026 and the exhibition/sale dates are September 13-26, 2026. 

Upcoming:  December 2026 Group Exhibit of the Louisiana Society of Animal Artists and The ArkLaTex Art Guild, at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum. Show opening and dates, December 6-30, 2026. 

2026 Fifth Semi-Annual Jefferson, Texas Art Walk Show and Sale September 5, 2026. 

2026 Fourth Semi-Annual Jefferson, Texas Indoor Art Walk Show and Sale.

2026 Owl Night Show and Sale, Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park.

2025 Group Exhibit/The Louisiana Society of Animal Artists, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum Annual Show, held in Shreveport, La.

2025 The 2nd Annual ArkLaTex Art Guild Show held September 9th-26th, at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, in Shreveport, LA. 

2025-2028:  “Artport” juried show opening June 5, 2025, to be held at Shreveport Regional Airport, in Shreveport, Louisiana. “Shreveport’s Son” selected. Exhibition runs for three years, June 2025 through June 2028. 

2025 Small Works Nationally Juried Competition. “Chief” selected and awarded 2nd place. “They Rescued Each Other, “A Little Chinoiserie”, and “A Man in Munich” also selected. Show April 30, 2025 through June 28, 2025. Held in Mena, Arkansas. 

2024 Received The People’s Choice Award for “Balancing Act”. Group Exhibit/Louisiana Society of Animal Artists, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum Annual LSAA show, Shreveport, LA. 

2024 The 10th Annual Art of the Heartland nationally juried competition. “Abuela” selected. Show August 28 through November 2, 2024. Held in Mena, Arkansas. 

2024 Group Exhibit, ArkLaTex Art Guild Show. Show held in September 10th-30th, at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, in Shreveport, La. 

2024 First Semi-Annual Jefferson, Texas Art Walk Show and Sale.

2023 Group Exhibit/Louisiana Society of Animal Artists, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum Annual LSAA Show. Held in Shreveport, La. 

2023 The 9th Annual Art of the Heartland nationally juried competition. “The Last of The Mohicans Tribute” and “She has her Father’s Eyes” selected. Show September 6th through October 28th. Held in Mena, Arkansas.

2023 The 53rd Annual River Road show nationally juried competition. “Blue Smoke” selected. Show August 3rd through September 25th. Held in Baton Rouge, LA. 

2023 Small Works Nationally Juried Competition.  “Queen” and “Pueblo Child” selected. Show May 3rd through June 24th. Held in Mena, Arkansas. 

2023 Owl Night Show and Sale, Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park. 

2022 Received The People’s Choice Award for “Make Hay While the Sun Still Shines”. Group Exhibit/Louisiana Society of Animal Artists, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum Annual LSAA Show, Shreveport, LA. 

2022 Art of The Heartland Nationally Juried Competition. “Kimono Flowers” selected. Held in Mena, Arkansas.

2022 Small Works Nationally Juried Competition. “Midnight Cowboy” selected. Held in Mena Arkansas. 

2022 Owl Night Show and sale, Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park. 

2021 Received The People’s Choice for “Colorful Koi Rain”. Group Exhibit/Louisiana Society of Animal Artists, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum Annual
LSAA Show. Held in Shreveport, LA. 

2021 Art of The Heartland Nationally Juried Competition.  “Caddo Indian Bride in Queen Anne’s Lace” selected. Held in Mena, Arkansas. 

2021 Art in The Park show and sale, Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park. 

2020 Owl Night Show and sale at Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park. 

2020 Group Exhibit/R.W. Norton Art Gallery’s juried annual Bloom exhibition, “Caddo Indian Bride in Queen Anne’s Lace” selected as first alternate.

2019 Group Exhibit/Louisiana Society of
Animal Artists, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum Annual LSAA Show. 

2019 Art in the Park show at Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park. 

2019 Owl Night Show and sale, at Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park. 

2018 Group Exhibit/R.W. Norton Art Gallery’s juried Annual Bloom Exhibition. “Sunflower Trail on Old Dixie Road” selected. Held in Shreveport, LA. 

2018 Owl Night Show and Sale, at Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park. 

2017 Group Exhibit/Studio Artists of Dave Ivey, Art on-Line Avenue, Shreveport, LA.

2017 Group Exhibit/Louisiana Society of Animal Artists, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum Annual LSAA Show, Shreveport, LA. 

2017 Art in the Park show at Walter B. Jacobs Nature Park. 

2017 Group Exhibit/Women in Art Show, Davis Clothing & Outdoor, Bossier City, LA.

2017 Cypress Lake Exhibit, show and sale, Benton, LA. 

2016 Group Exhibit/Louisiana Society of Animal Artists, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum Annual LSAA Show, Shreveport, LA. 

2016 Group Exhibit/R.W. Norton Art Gallery’s juried First Annual Bloom Exhibition. “Half Dozen and a Spare” selected. Held in Shreveport, LA.

2015 Group Exhibit/Louisiana Society of Animal Artists, Louisiana State Exhibit Museum Annual LSAA Show, Shreveport, LA. 

2015 Solo Exhibition/Davis Clothing & Outdoor, Bossier City, LA. 

2011 Group Exhibit/Karpeles Manuscript Library, Shreveport, LA. 

Education/studied under:

Joe Bohler 

Thomas Blackshear II

Connie Erickson

Kobus Moller

John Poon

John Seerey-Lester

Suzy Seerey-Lester

Chantel Barber

Sarah Thibodeaux

Sarah Sedwick

Laura Loe

Morgan Samuel Price

Patti Mollica