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By NATASHA S. JOHNSON Lifestyle Editor

An artist feeds off her own creativity -- her imagination shapes the products that nourish her soul. But sometimes, the outlet for her creativity fails to satisfy her artistic appetite. Sometimes, as Mary Louise Porter discovered, an artist has to evolve. "I sat down one day and realized that everything I do is two-dimensional," she recalls. "I was playing with boxes, cereal boxes, and I just saw my art on them. And I began to see myself as a sculptor... I didn't even realize it [as it was happening], but my artwork didn't fit me anymore. It had to change. It evolved."

She describes the process of creating this new art as "embryonic" and says that as her art grew, she grew with it. The product of all this creative evolution became "Evolving Corners," a series of three-dimensional wooden boxes on which Porter has painted realistic and abstract images that reflect her life's journey. Porter describes the process as "a voyage of self-discovery. I allowed myself to have no boundaries - which is what art is really about: that creative spirit."
Porter deliberately made the pieces accessible so that visitors can move around them, turn them and peer inside of them. "They are not framed, untouchable art; they are like my life itself, hands-on and an evolving reflection that involves both artist and viewer."

She is also careful to refrain from constricting her audience's perception of the art. "I didn't name the pieces. I don't want to limit what they are. They are stories about my life and your life. You perceive what you bring to it. Viewers are able to take what they want."

Porter's own perception of the boxes continues to develop as she assembles them for an exhibit at Centenary College. “I realized, [one box] needed light. It needed holes. They all used to be solid, but now many of them have holes, openings, even light coming from inside." Porter says the amount of light is particularly important to her because without light, there is no color. And color is Porter's passion. She did her thesis on color dynamics and teaches the psychology of color dynamics at the Louisiana School. "Color is energy. It affects people. There is a lot of thought that gets put into color." This is especially true of Porter's use of color and light in her own artwork - her pieces invariably evoke a sense of energy with their vibrant color schemes. It's fitting that she has a lifelong adoration of "The Wizard of Oz," the story of a young girl who opens a door and finds her new world awash in brilliant hues. For Porter, a freshly colored world is worth recreating (and embellishing) on canvas - and, now, on boxes.

Porter has big plans for her boxes -- very big plans. "In a few years, I want them to be so large that people can walk inside them. I want them to be outdoor pieces. I want people to interact with them. I can see them outside buildings, in playgrounds, in hospitals. People become part of the art. You're seeing a process going on. They create a playful space."

Porter says the redesign is all worked out in her head, now she just has to start searching for funding. It shouldn't take too long for this ambitious artist. She was recently the recipient of a Skidmore Fellowship that allowed her to live at a retreat and be completely consumed in her art. It was on that retreat that she first began to play with the concept of boxes -- and where her art was reborn. "Sometimes you wake up and wonder, why am I doing this? There are plenty of artists in the world. But when it is inside you, you have to let it out. It's exciting to be at this point, at my age, and still have new ideas. That's what is great about the boxes - it's my concept."

Porter's mixed-media art exhibit "Evolving Corners" will be on display at the Turner Art Gallery at Centenary College in Shreveport until Feb. 17. The artist will host a reception on Sunday, Jan. 29, from 2-4 p.m. at the gallery. For more information about the artist, visit her Web site at www.artcanes.com.