Jackson Free Press

What do animals do for fun and entertainment when humans aren't around? That's what Charley Jenkins has been trying to answer with his art.

He calls his technique S.E.E., which stands for seek, entertain and energize. "My work challenges the viewer to use simplicity to seek out the eccentricities that compose the finished work," Jenkins says. "The entertainment that follows the line and the color energizes the viewer."

Jerri Bennett at Community Animal Rescue and Adoption (CARA) commissioned a limited-edition print from Jenkins to help raise money and awareness for CARA.

Jenkins, 63, mainly works with colored-wax pencils but also uses pastels, watercolors and acrylic wash painting with feathers. He used to work as a plein air painter, or one who paints outdoors.

Since a young age, Jenkins wanted to be an artist but decided to teach because it was more practical. He holds master's degrees in art education and vocational counseling from Delta State University. Jenkins also has a post-graduate degree in psychometry from the University of Southern Mississippi. In addition, he has studied at Holmes Community College, the University of Maryland, the University of Oklahoma and Mary-Hardin Baylor College.

He has illustrated children's books and conducted numerous workshops for clubs and adult groups. Originally from Thomastown, Miss., Jenkins now lives in Hazlehurst with his wife, Margaret.

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