Meet The Artists

Rebekah Knight - Wildlife Artist

Originally from Butler, Missouri, Rebekah began her career at the age of 15 when she won the 2006 Federal Junior Duck Stamp contest under the mentorship of Susan Hearting. She has since been involved in various conservation art competition and art shows across the country, bringing light and awareness to earth's wild treasures. Rebekah has spent many hours in the field from Alaska to Africa photographing each subject of her work, which is a key part of knowing how to convey their character. As her style and technique continues to grow and evolve, she also continues to set her sights on more goals surrounding wildlife, art and conservation. 

Rebekah currently resides in the Deepwater, MO area with her husband Olen Knight. She works part-time for USPS as a substitute rural mail carrier and enjoys traveling, hunting, flying, and playing the violin with Susan for weddings at the Vintage View wedding barn.

Website: www.rebekahknight.com 

Instagram: @reb.knight.art

Tom Altenburg - Nature Artist

Tom is an animal and nature artist. His enjoyment of God's creation has given him a passion for wildlife and preserving the environment. Tom has a degree in Studio Art and Design from the University of Missouri. He also studied at the Kansas City Art Institute. He served as a Graphic Artist for the United States Air Force Reserve. He is a retired, award winning artist for Hallmark Cards, Inc. 

Tom has exhibited his acrylic paintings in many national shows. His work has been represented with the Society of Animal Artists, National Oil and Acrylic Painter's Society, Birds in Art, and Art for the Parks. Tom was a featured artist on Missouri Outdoors, a PBS program sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conversation. He was featured in Art of the West Magazine's special issue, Acrylic Highlights. Tom was featured in Art of the West Magazine's Celebrating the Horse section. He has created Star Wars art for George Lucas, and art for major book publishers. 

Shelly Mullani-Bales - Bales Art & Illustration 

Shelly Mullani-Bales, was born in Pittsburg, Ks in 1971, growing up in rural LaCygne, Ks. She stated at age 4, she was going to be an artist when she grew up.  Shelly holds a Master of Arts in teaching K-12 from the University of Central Missouri as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Art with distinction from Ottawa University.  Her background includes specialized studies in Art Therapy for children. Shelly’s commissioned art includes murals, graphic art, painting and illustrating, often with a whimsical flare.  

Shelly lives in Appleton City, Missouri, a peaceful, rural town where she currently resides with her husband Tony. She has three children: Kevin, Kayla and Nick, and is grandma to Bentley, Thadius, Harmony, Odin and Persephone, whom she loves to spoil.

Aside from teaching, painting and illustrating, the high-spirited artist is inspired by every-day life, nature, music, and the child-like vitality in us all.  

Savannah Mount - Artist

Savannah Mount grew up on her family’s farm in Appleton City. She is currently a senior at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri, to become an art teacher. Savannah has always loved to create! At age 15, she began selling her artwork, with one of her first offerings being prints of a watercolor painting titled Rainy Day Calf. Since then, she has enjoyed working in many other mediums of art. Savannah enjoyed many hours learning from her mentor Susan Hearting, while painting ducks for the Federal Junior Duck stamp contest. Savannah says that she has found art to be one of the best ways to communicate and hopes to inspire others to express themselves through their art, just as her own teachers (Shelly Mullani-Bales and Larry Swisher) inspired her. Her favorite subjects to paint are animals and portraits. Her family’s cattle, chickens, as well as her pet duck, Rusty, and her younger siblings often appear in her artwork. Savannah is known at The Rustic Duck for her small but detailed paintings on turkey feathers.

Susan Hearting - Artist & Owner of The Rustic Duck, Lakeview by Sue, and Vintage View by Sue

Susan Hearting has lived next to Appleton City Lake for years and in 2020 built the Lakeview by Sue wedding venue. Susan has spent years studying and painting ducks and fowls as part of her passion. She now offers her collection and art for sale through The Rustic Duck.