Louisiana
HEART OF LOUISIANA: Kayak Artist
ST. TAMMANY, La. (WAFB) – Artist Carol Hallock has found a way to combine her love of painting with her enjoyment of paddling, a kayak near her home on Bayou Lacombe.
“I always liked anything Louisiana. You know the pelicans, the oak trees. Water on the bayou just surrounds me and it becomes a part of you,” said Hallock.
I tagged along in my own kayak as Hallock scanned the springtime bayou landscape, looking at shapes, the light, anything that would inspire her to put paint and brush to canvas.
“In springtime, it’s bright, bright, bright, bright greens, and they only last about a week,” Hallock said.
In her small kayak, Hallock is seeing her world from water level,
“And so you’re looking up and it’s giving you a different angle and more access to places,” said Hallock.
You’ve probably seen these landscapes along the bayou hundreds of times. Where do you find inspiration to paint something new?
“In a way, the composition may be very similar, but your colors change. Your light changes, the time of year changes, and so it’s always new. The challenge is to, if you’re painting that same thing over and over, make it better,” Hallock said.
Hallock notices how the late afternoon sun adds highlights to trees. The swaying of moss in the wind and shapes reflecting in the water. A lot of folks would come by this, by you on a boat and whisk right by this scene here, but I‘m loving the detail. The lilies, the flowers that that you’re finding in that.
“Dead trees are interesting. They talk somehow,” Hallock said.
It might seem like it would be easier to snap a picture and take it home to paint the scene. Hallock prefers the plein air style trying to do a painting, from start to finish, while sitting on location in her kayak.
“The camera doesn’t have the emotion,” Hallock said. “The camera does not see what you see. It does not see the emotion, the light, and doesn’t feel what you feel when you’re painting from a photo. You’re trying to do a 3d rendering from this 2d photo, and if you’re out in nature, you’re trying to do a 3d, but then there’s three d in front of you.”
Carol Hallock’s award-winning oil paintings capture familiar scenes, trees along a bayou, the changing of seasons, the imperfections and beauty of Louisiana landscapes, and the white egret that she always names Geraldine.
“I‘ve always kind of been closed off from emotion, not really knowing how I felt. And I think painting has helped me acknowledge what’s inside of me,” said Hallock.
If every stroke of the brush hits its mark, Hallock says she can complete a painting in less than an hour. And there’s always tomorrow with different light or perhaps a few more clouds. Another chance to capture the beauty and emotion of a kayak trip on the bayou.
More information can be found on Heart of Louisiana’s website.
Click here to report a typo. Please include the headline.
Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Copyright 2025 WAFB. All rights reserved.
Yasin Gungor
19 April 2026•Update: 19 April 2026
At least eight children were killed and two others were wounded in a shooting in the US state of Louisiana, local police said Sunday.
Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Christopher Bordelon said officers responded to the shooting just after 6 am (1100GMT), following a domestic disturbance call.
The age of the deceased ranged from one to 14 years, he said, adding that the incident involved at least 10 individuals across four separate locations.
The suspect attempted to flee by carjacking a vehicle and driving to neighboring Bossier City, where police located and shot him dead.
Bordelon said Shreveport police officers pursued the suspect’s vehicle into Bossier, where three officers discharged their firearms, killing him. He said investigators believe the suspect was the only person who opened fire at the locations.
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux described the attack as “maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” adding: “It’s a terrible morning.”
No immediate information was available about the condition of the injured.
Louisiana
‘Growth pays for growth’: Entergy’s Fair Share Plus model to save Louisiana customers $2.8 billion
Think tank proposes capping Social Security benefits at $100,000
A Washington think tank proposed capping annual Social Security benefits at $100,000 for couples as a way to shrink a looming deficit in the retirement trust fund.
When it comes to retiring, the best places to do so often are affordable, have a high quality of life and access to quality healthcare.
If you’re looking for a place to retire, Niche has identified the best places for retirees in Louisiana.
In its list, Niche has taken into account factors like weather, crime rates, housing costs and access to amenities.
The 5 best places to retire in Louisiana according to Niche
These are the top five best places to retire in Louisiana, according to Niche.
1. Oak Hills Place
Oak Hills Place is a suburb of Baton Rouge and is the overall best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb, located in East Baton Rouge Parish, has a population of 9,038 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. The area is highly rated for families, diversity, as well as health and fitness. Here, the median home value is $437,900 and the median rent is $1,422, according to Niche.
2. Westminster
Westminster is another suburb of Baton Rouge and is the second-best place to retire in Louisiana. Located in East Baton Rouge Parish, this suburb has a population of 2,559 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. This area is highly rated for nightlife, diversity, families, health and fitness, as well as commute. The median home value here is $266,100 and the median rent is $1,482, says Niche.
3. River Ridge
River Ridge is a suburb of New Orleans, located in Jefferson Parish, and is the third-best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb has a population of 13,312 and offers residents a dense suburban feel. The area is highly rated for public schools, family, nightlife and diversity. The median home value is $357,400 and the median rent is $1,127, according to Niche.
4. Westlake
Westlake is a town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. With a population of 4,743, this town offers residents a rural feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, jobs, cost of living, nightlife and weather. Here, the median home value is $166,100 and the median rent is $1,049, says Niche.
5. Prien
Prien is another town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. This town has a population of 7,119 and offers residents a suburban rural mix feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, nightlife and weather. The median home value here is $278,000 and the median rent is $1,292, according to Niche.
Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
-
Fitness1 minute agoHow the 3-3-3 Rule Helped Me Stick to an Exercise Routine
-
Movie Reviews13 minutes agoFILM REVIEW: ROSE OF NEVADA – Joyzine
-
World25 minutes ago
Oil prices rise anew after a US-Iran standoff in the Strait of Hormuz strands tankers
-
News31 minutes agoVideo: 8 Children Killed in Louisiana Shooting, Police Say
-
Culture1 hour agoPoetry Challenge: Memorize “The More Loving One” by W.H. Auden
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoPhotos: How overfishing in Southeast Asia is an ecological and human crisis
-
Technology1 hour agoBlue Origin successfully reused its New Glenn rocket
-
World2 hours agoDistress call captures tanker under fire, Iran shuts Hormuz trapping thousands of sailors
