If you have driven north on Douglas Avenue in downtown Ellsworth anytime in the last few months, you have probably seen the work of local artist Josh Womelsdorf.

Womelsdorf painted the colorful mural on the south wall of Paden’s Restaurant and Bar which depicts two longhorn cattle.

Most recently, Womelsdorf was selected as the February Artist of the Month at the Ellsworth Area Arts Council’s gallery.

“It’s an honor to get to show your stuff to the community,” Womelsdorf said. “I appreciate the opportunity.”

Womelsdorf said it feels like he has been an artist his whole life.

“I’ve just always drawn and stuff,” he said. “I’ve always been an artist, but I haven’t actually made a living with my art. It’s just a sideline job, I guess.”

Womelsdorf said he has done a few paintings for people on the side and sold a few of them.

“I make metal stuff too, so I’ve sold a lot of different things made out of metal,” he said.

A resident of Ellsworth for the last 18 years, Womelsdorf is originally from Iola in southeast Kansas.

Womelsdorf initially gravitated to drawing by watching his mom.

“She just used to draw a lot,” he said. “She wasn’t a full-time artist or anything — she decorated cakes and things like that — but I guess I just liked doing that because she did it.”

Womelsdorf said he took art classes in high school, then continued to grow his interest in art by attending Allen County Community College and Kansas State University.

“The creativeness at college was pretty nice,” he said. “You got to work with some interesting people (who) were creative.”

Asked if he had one favorite painting of all that he has done, Womelsdorf said there wasn’t one he could choose.

“I just like all of them, I guess,” he said.

Womelsdorf said he favors a picture he drew of his grandfather, Isaac Womelsdorf.

“Everybody called him Boone,” he said. “That was the nickname he had forever.”

In recognition of being the Artist of the Month, Womelsdorf is painting a mural of a girl whistling that is 4 feet by 8 feet and which is on display at the gallery.

“I like music and I just thought a girl whistling was a neat image, so I was playing with the idea and I got the opportunity to do it, so I said I’m going to go with it,” he said.

Womelsdorf said painting something on a larger scale, such as a mural, takes a lot more paint and time to do, but he likes working on big projects.

“I think it’s kind of fun,” he said.

Asked if he had any advice for aspiring artists Womelsdorf said simply, “I think the biggest thing is to just do it. Just continue to work and work and work and be prolific. The more you do, the better you get.”

“I think the biggest thing is to just do it. Just continue to work and work and work and be prolific. The more you do, the better you get.”

Josh Womelsdorf Ellsworth-area artist