Joy Odom said winning best of show in the LAAC’s annual juried art show took her by surprise.

Her acrylic piece, “Polly Wolly Doodle #2,” was judged the best of approximately 75 entries.

Odom, who lives in Brewton, said she has always done arts and crafts, but began painting about two years ago.

“I had my knee replaced about two years ago, and I was looking for something to do while I recovered,” she said. “I got into alcohol inks. They are inks in little bottles. You drop them, blend them with alcohol, and move them around.

“I kind of learned how to do that, and then I found these fluid acrylics,” she said. “I started playing with them, trying to figure out how to do it. And I’ve gotten better.”

She began working with the fluid acrylics just before Christmas. She entered the LAAC show after learning about the The Gallery from her brother, Curtis Appleyard, who retired to Andalusia. She has been showing and selling art here ever since.

She thought she might have a chance at being recognized in the acrylics category, she said, because the fluid acrylics are new. When the winner in that category was announced, she said, she never dreamed she’d win the top prize.

“I had forgotten about the best of show award,” she said. “It totally just took me by surprise, but it’s nice to be noticed.”

Asked about the title for her art, she said, “Polly Wolly Doodle is a song I used to sing to my grandkids. I read something about it on the internet, and I started singing it in my head.”

Odom said as a young bride, she lived in Andalusia and worked at Leon’s, which was owned by her stepfather.