More artists on the Open Studios Tour Oct. 26-27
Here are several more of the 14 artists on the Open Studios Tour. The event take splace this weekend. Features are a driving tour and a chance to win a $150 gift card to purchase Art. James River and Lord Botetourt students also have art at the studios. Saturday 10 -5 and Sunday 11-5.
https://openstudiosbotetourt.com/ Click Link for more info.
Amy D. Herzel has exhibited work for the past twenty years. Her drawings have been shown in North Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, California, Ohio and Pennsylvania. She trained as a painter and printmaker at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and went on to receive her M.Ed. in Art Education at the Tyler School of Art in 2000. She was a member of the Red Arrow Gallery in Nashville for two years and then became a Collaborative member of the Cerulean Arts Gallery in Philadelphia for a year. She is currently not represented by any galleries. Her work has received awards of recognition by Curators such as Rebecca Lawton, from the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and Jennifer Cassler-Price at The Kimbell Museum of Fine Art. In addition to winning an honorable mention at the 2017 Roanoke Biennial, one of her drawings was later purchased by Beth Rudin DeWoody. Most recently her work was juried into the 10th Annual Drawing Discourse exhibition curated by Claire Gilman of the Drawing Center in New York. She currently lives and works in Blue Ridge, Virginia.
Dan Jones and his wife Charlotte are life long natives of Botetourt County. They live on a farm several miles west of Fincastle off Blacksburg Road. The view from their deck is the mountains between Fincastle and Craig County. And the view is exactly what a photographer considers the holy grail of photography—that is, ever changing seasons and ever changing light which provide tranquility and inspiration. They also have traveled extensively both in the states and Europe with the goal of seeing new sights and getting new inspiration. And once back home, Dan heads to his studio overlooking the mountains to create new photographic endeavors. A newer pursuit is printing the photos directly on aluminum sheets giving the photo an unparalleled brilliance and hue and longevity.
Dan is represented by Gallery by the James in Buchanan. His work has won national awards and is exhibited in board rooms, homes, magazines, books, and on line. He also shows his art in shows by whim or moments of insanity.
“My childhood and adulthood kept my family on the move,” said Dreama Kattenbraker. “I have made “home” in NJ, AL, FL, CO, VA, NC, SC, CA, GA, IL, Greece, Italy, and spend time in the Pacific NW with my grown children. I’m now in Virginia for a record 16 years.”
Art provided the means of adapting to constant change as a shy child. I studied Art Education/ English Literature (UNC-G, NC, 69-72) and received a degree in Cultural Anthropology/Psychology (U. South Carolina ‘87).
I continued course work for fun in the Studio Arts at College of DuPage, IL, (90s). I have been employed /volunteered as babysitter, housecleaner, bathroom janitor, lifeguard, secretary, retail clerk, political activist, animal activist, advertising designer, wild & domestic animal rescue, teacher, dancer, local theatre, gardener and art fair gypsy. Each of these experiences serves my art-making overall. I am a member of: Open Studios Botetourt, Nature Artists Collective, and have artwork represented by Lindor Arts Gallery (Roanoke, VA), and Jane Wilcoxsin Gallery (Mineral Point, WI).
Currently, Brett LaGue’s home, studio and garden are in Fincastle, Virginia – where everywhere you look is a scene waiting to be shared.
Born in Indiana and growing up in Florida, Brett has spent countless hours wandering woods, fields, along riverbanks and at the beach. After wearing out several pairs of flip-flops while attending Ringling School of Art & Design (Now Ringling College of Art + Design) in Sarasota Florida, he graduated with honors in graphic design & illustration.
Looking for that first job, Brett discovered the beauty of Virginia. Twenty-five plus years of Brett’s pursuing a career in advertising eventually led to becoming an artist full-time. He has exhibited in solo and group presentations, art festivals and plein air competitions. This fall, he will serve as judge of Plein Air Floyd, an outdoor painting competition, show and sale.
Brett’s work can be found in collections across the United States as well as in England and France, and he am a recipient of a professional fellowship grant from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Besides Judy Locbrunners’s passion for art, one thing that has held true no matter where she has lived is her love of gardening. “I’m a bit of a fanatical gardener”, she explains. “You can tell how long I’ve lived on a piece of property by how many gardens there are because I’ll start out with one, then I’ll add another, then another.”
For Judy, the connection between gardening and artwork runs deep. “A lot of artists are gardeners,” she continues, “They seem to be compatible. We like designing spaces, no matter where they’re at. Really it’s the gardens that inspire me. I’ve always liked to paint flowers and outdoor scenes”
Willie Simmons’ roots in Botetourt County go back for generations. Willie’s father was a woodworker and made many pieces of furniture for local residents. Simmons has been turning for over twenty years, producing both architectural and functional pieces. Willie wants his work to be as useful as it is attractive. Simmons uses local woods whenever possible. Willie is also willing to use your own wood, to create something you can cherish forever.
Mark Woodie says. “I was born and grew up in Botetourt County. We lived beside my Grandfather’s farm where I was always free to roam the beautiful landscape, witness the changing of the seasons and the wildlife that lived there. I have always drawn pictures and made things with my hands. I don’t know if that makes you an artist, but that’s what I turned out to be.”
When I graduated from Lord Botetourt High School in 1972, instead of going to a small college and playing football, I went to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and majored in Painting and Print Making. I graduated from VCU in 1976. Two years later I earned a Master of Art and Liberal Studies degree from Hollins College.
For many years I traveled to art shows (festivals), showed my work in galleries in various places. When marriage and the children came along, I went back to school and obtained a license to teach. I taught various stints at both high schools in Botetourt County and have just retired from teaching art after being at Central Academy Middle School in 2016. Now… finally as an old man, I am doing what I should have been doing my whole life, Making Art.
Mary Anne Meador will show with Judy Lochbrunner. She said, “Since 1999, I have been active in art organizations and participating in art workshops and art activities including plein air painting where I enjoy catching the essence of life happening wherever it may be. I am an active member of the Double Line Painters of the Blue Ridge. My work has been shown in galleries and retail shops in Virginia and North Carolina.
Robin Poteet became mesmerized with watercolor many years ago, when she first laid brush to paper. Today, she is still in awe of that media. Watercolor has taught her patience, timing and humility, and it has served as a reminder that being in control doesn’t always yield a good painting.
Robin honed her skills through years of working as a graphic designer / illustrator for national furniture companies and celebrity designers. Currently, she devotes her time to painting, teaching, exhibiting, jurying, and co-leading annual painting trips with Vera Dickerson.
Watercolor Artist Magazine named Robin one of their national Ten to Watch (Dec. 2010 issue), and since, she has been featured in several more national magazines and books and has received numerous awards. She is a watercolor instructor at The Studio School in Roanoke and has a working studio space / gallery at 9 Library Square in Salem, where she’s delighted to have visitors.She is a watercolor instructor at The Studio School in Roanoke and has a working studio space / gallery at 9 Library Square in Salem, where she’s delighted to have visitors.
–Open Studios Botetourt 2019
