Jasper - Retired auto dealer Don Nelms has said he believes anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

    Nelms (Northwest Arkansas Profile Dec 11, 2005) bought several hundred acres, including a mountain, west of Jasper after he left the car business in 2001 and now spends the majority of his time traipsing around the Buffalo River and surrounding areas, capturing the best of the Ozarks on camera.

    His work has yielded some 500,000 digital images, the best of which he printed and stretched on canvas for display in a gallery he's opened on acreage he bought adjacent to his property. Nelms Gallery is home to more than 170 works large and small. Prices range from $100 to $1,200. An open house is scheduled for 9a.m. to 6p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 4p.m. the next day.

    Nelms spent the better part of six months getting the gallery ready.

    "It's been like a grand opening of a car dealership," he says.

    The Texas native came to Fayetteville in the early 1970's and established an automotive empire bearing his name. His 30-year career culminated with the development of what is now Fayetteville Auto Park off Interstate 540.

    Nelms started taking pictures about six months after he sold the auto park. He was looking for a way to put his creativity to use, and since he doesn't consider himself a writer or painter, photography became his outlet.

    "I'm mechanically inclined and enjoy technical things."

    He vowed from the outset to never use film. He's self-taught except for some tips from wilderness photographer Tim Ernst. Scott Baldassari, an artist from Chicago, is working with Nelms, building the frames and covering the canvases, as well as advising clients on their selections.

    Nelms says he simply wants to share with others what he's able to enjoy on a daily basis.

    "From the beginning, this has been about showing people the tremendous asset that the Buffalo River region is and to communicate that to as many people as possible," he says.

    "In this gallery, they'll get a glimpse of what they could see if they spent time to go look for it. I've found a lot of places that the average person would never have a chance to go."

    The gallery is further enhanced by four miles of walking trails, a two-acre pond and stunning views from a wrap-around porch. Nelms and his wife, Millie, live across a valley, in a home they built about 1,200 feet above Jasper.

    After the grand opening, the gallery will be open 10a.m. until 5p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Nelms has already sold a dozen pieces to friends and folks who have stumbled upon the place. However, he says he's not counting on making a second career selling his photos.

    "If we don't ever sell them, I'm not going to worry about it."