Following studies in France and Mexico, and living in Canada and Florida, artist Sheila Cotton returned to her native Arkansas and began painting her vision of the Southern landscape in all its color, mystery and eccentricities.

This vibrant body of work – “almost surreal in intensity, infused with spirit” (Ellis Widner, ArtBeat, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) – is represented in many significant art collections and is acclaimed by Cotton’s inclusion in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

Read Cotton’s entry in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas here and her interview with the Arkansas Arts Scene Blog here.

The Arkansas Arts Council has awarded the 2026 esteemed Governor's Art Award to Sheila Cotton celebrating her "evocative works that honor Arkansas' natural beauty, cultural memory and enduring sense of place."
This interview by filmmaker Nathan Willis for the Arkansas Arts Council highlights the artist in her studio reflecting on her work.

A career artist turns to literary fiction...

In this debut collection of ten short stories, Cotton glimpses a compelling cast of characters in the modern South, entwining past and present, urban with agrarian heritage.

"She translates a visual sensibility into fiction with a gentle but unflinching hand, a quiet, assured voice, deeply human."

A Few Words from the Daffodil Committee
by Sheila Cotton

Published September 2026, available in ebook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) formats through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BookBaby, Kobo and other online booksellers.