By AnneBanks Blackwell

news@oxfordeagle.com

Colette Huval is painting away on the back porch of her home, wearing headphones. She is completely zoned out in a big T-shirt covered in paint and no shoes. Her legs are decorated with swatches of color, and her hair is pulled back.

The smell of acrylic paint drifts through the air on the small back porch dressed with stringed lights.

Huval is listening to her “warped” playlist, all punk music from her middle school days. She sits in a rocking chair and sips Chai tea from Starbucks.

“I’ve always loved art, and painting has always been my favorite,” she said. “I mostly work with acrylics, but watercolor is a lot of fun to work with too. It’s just harder to mess up.”

Huval said she loves working hands-on with art supplies.

“I took art classes all throughout high school and came to college knowing I wanted to be in art, so I decided to minor in it,” she said.

Halfway through Huval’s sophomore year at the University of Mississippi, she decided to start her own business in Oxford, beginning with an Instagram account that quickly gained the attention of Oxford students and the UM community. The account is named CEH Art. Huval will paint anything upon request, but most of her work is abstract and colorful.

Leeann Green is one of her customers.

“I’ve always known Colette was a very talented painter,” Green said, “but when I saw her abstract paintings on her Instagram, I knew I had to have one. I contacted her, and she painted me a piece (whatever size I wanted) and sold it to me for a very reasonable price. I love it because I was able to choose the colors that would match my room.”

Huval said her dream is to become an elementary art teacher. Her major is education, so she would love to incorporate both in her future.

“I definitely will continue to paint and paint for others as well,” she said. “It’s something I love to do, and a true passion of mine. I hope to become an art teacher after college or work in an art gallery or studio.”