Ouida Williams was born in Hogansville, Georgia, on Nov. 29, 1942. After discovering her passion for painting while attending LaGrange College, she received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia. Following her graduate work in the mid-60s, her imagery became increasingly suggestive, referring less and less to specific subject matter. Light, color, space, shapes, and forms became the focus of her work. Viewers may find references to bodies of water, landmasses, horizons, islands, shadows, reflections, etc., but plenty of opportunity is open for mystery. Ultimately, the subject matter is dependent on the viewer’s personal interpretation.

Ouida’s richly colored abstractions have been juried in exhibitions on the local, regional and national levels. In the Savannah National Juried Exhibition, Collector’s Choice, she received a Merit Award, and in the Carrollton Regional Exhibition she was awarded a Purchase Prize. Locally she exhibited in many juried, one-person and invitational exhibits. Her large paintings were presented at Lyndon House Art Center in an exhibition supported by a grant from the Georgia Council for the Arts. Included in her list of solo shows are the J.H. Webb Gallery in Macon and the Carol Reese Museum at East Tennessee State University.