Karen Sewell
Color and texture are my passion and drive my aesthetic. Inspiration comes from observing the small vignettes in everyday life that touch my soul. Working in various mediums and genres, a special love of portraiture as well as intimate landscapes has developed. Capturing that moment in time is important to me as it is never exactly repeated. I am a Floyd native and one of the founding members of the Floyd Artists Association LLC, now A NEW LEAF GALLERY. The interactive experience of instructing students in portraiture, perspective, value and composition (PVC), and color theory enrich my work as I endeavor to pass on my love of creating. Commissions are welcomed.
Jenny Traynham
If you relate to the experience of simplicity found in our surroundings, then perhaps you will find that in my paintings. Paring down the non-essentials, and allowing the pureness of the moment to be discovered are my goals. Using oils, cold wax, oil pastels and lately wool in fiber art, I feel emboldened to pursue the “less is more” concept. Using the pallet knife enables me to leave out the clutter, and allow the viewer to share the experience of the subject matter with me.
traynham@swva.net www.jennytraynham.com
Cielo Sand
"Listening" for the story a painting has to share is my method and purpose for creating art. Combining and moving the paint freely with no idea of what will come, requires trust that a story will reveal itself. The story helps me interpret the experiences of life around me. I then develop the painting using vivid color, movement and emotion. Acylic is my primary medium. I'm intrigued and inspired by the Appalachian Mountains where my husband, our cats and I have settled with our flock of free-roaming chickens and Jersey cows on our family's mountain-side organic farm.
David Hall
I create simple colorful themes in a modern style. Sometimes the things are in the real world or a memory – sometimes a dream. Most of the subject matter is bold and direct but I usually try to leave plenty of space for the viewers own mental embellishment of the subject. I like to offer the freedom to interpret a piece in the same way I was afforded the freedom and vision to express the central theme. Sometimes, though, I just want to paint a vase of flowers or some sailboats and that’s all it is, a pretty thing.
davidh@swva.net 540 745 3222
Niki Perillat
Niki Perillat is an inspiration to all who know her. Coming back to art after an almost forty-year hiatus, she continuously surprises herself as well as those around her with her colorful landscapes and her insightful and expressive portraits of animals in pastel and watercolor. Still learning and putting forth her best efforts at ninety plus years, she gives all around her something to shoot for in their own artistic journey.
Jennifer Carpenter
Every raindrop holds a tiny little secret wanting to be heard. Anything that shimmers begs for attention. Glass is never just the color by which we call it. Reflections of any kind permit the viewer to look two places at once. These observations and many more are the basis for every drawing I create in colored pencil, each with a story waiting to be told.
Bronwen Valentine
Magic is everywhere. From ancient oceans to soaring skyscrapers, I see the beauty of nature and form. I grew up exploring the secret places of the Blue Ridge Mountains, immersed in the music and the community. My travels have taken me to amazing secret places throughout the world, eventually bringing me back home to Floyd. My paintings are a dance between free form visionary color and delicate hand drawn precise design. I strive to communicate the essential energy of a place or object - the feeling of a precious moment. Custom orders are welcomed!
bronwenvalentine@gmail.com etsy.com/shop/danceafire Facebook: BronwenValentineArt Instagram: bronwenvalentineart
Lori Lynne Sutphin
As an artist, I pay great attention to everything surrounding me. Some would say I'm always looking and researching. I'm intrigued by absolutely everything but especially nature with it's glorious landscapes, plants of all kinds and the fun shapes and angles of architecture. I love vibrant colors, textures, details and contrast. For me, it has always been these things that inspire each of my paintings. It may be the sparkle of dew on a leaf or the pop of color from the center of a flower or the way the shadows fall perfectly from the roof above or the opened door on a building that inspire me to create a painting.
Selena McColley
Always "creating something" as a child led to the desire to study commercial art/advertising design until a high school guidance counselor made my career choice seem undesirable pushing me into interior design. After discovering that wasn't “me,” a marriage, child and divorce I taught 7th grade history for 19 years until CANCER changed everything! Realizing we had no time to waste, my husband and I chose to make our Floyd vacation home permanent in 2018. I am following my heart and creating the art I always dreamed of! I paint things that move me and make me happy. Just Leap!
Daniel Robertson
I have always been inspired by the outdoors. Moving to Alaska in 2015 helped me to gain a greater appreciation for nature and the inspiration that can be found there. Alaska holds many surreal landscapes that often left me breathless in their sheer size and beauty. Their I was able to develop as an artist by working to embrace the grand landscapes as well as to search for the more intimate scenes. Whether it is the rocky peaks of Denali, a flowing waterfall through the forest, or a trail in the Blue Ridge Mountains. My goal is for each photograph is to capture a feeling in a moment that echoes the beauty of the scene.
Instagram: @danielmarkrobertsonphotography www.danielmarkrobertson.com Email:danielmarkrobertson@gmail.com (540)354-6286
Bob Rotche
I have been working with wood in one way or another for most of my life. It was in 2010, however, with my introduction to the wood lathe that my passion for the artistic side of woodworking began to take shape. I learned to appreciate the beauty of a perfect curve or a subtle texture. With further exploration of carving and color, I realized the limitless potential of this medium that I have come to love. I still use the lathe regularly but at this point most of the work is done off the lathe. I work with both free-standing sculpture as well as relief carved wall hangings and continue to feel the excitement of creative possibility every time I set foot into my shop.
Ruth Lefko
My artistic journey is a continuous evolution. The more I paint the more I see through an abstract lens. I no longer strive to paint realistic images, with the exception of my pet portraits, which also have an element of spontaneity. I mainly work in acrylic, watercolor, and soft pastels but I do not limit myself to these mediums.
My approach to a painting, whether an abstract or landscape, begins with “play” using 2-3 colors, a spray bottle of water, texture creating tools, and enough time to enjoy the moment. I am energized by the interaction of paint and fascinated with textures that appear to create a unique composition.
Facebook: RuthLefkoArt www.ruthlefko.com Instagram: RuthLefkoArt
Sara Thompson
Sara Thompson is an artist local to Blacksburg; or as much of a local as she can be, having lived in over twenty locations from New Hampshire to Arizona. With many family moves growing up, art was a family focus. Her father was a woodworker, her mother practices thread craft, her older brother constantly sketching, and Sara took inspiration from all of them. Art was her constant across the seven schools she attended, the variety of teachers supplementing her self-taught skills. She found recognition early, having been chosen to have her photography featured in the student gallery of the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA in 1999. Having taken a hiatus from art after high school, Sara is picking up where she left off. Exploring different mediums and techniques, she’s currently experimenting with acrylic abstracts inspired by the late Jonas Gerard.
Facebook: SaraThompson Email: sctaylor97@gmail.com
Carolyn S. Deck
From my childhood, I have a vivid memory of running through a huge field of wild flowers and grasses. Butterflies and birds and crickets and grasshoppers were all in abundance. And the colors lit from the sun in the clear cobalt blue sky were indelibly branded into my brain. The sheer joy of those moments have been a precious treasure over the years. And I renew that memory every time I pick up my paint brush and explore another nook and cranny. Nature always inspires me with the deepest of Joy.
Email: cs_deck@yahoo.com
Darcy Meeker
I carved my first stone at a two-day workshop and traded it with the teacher for a set of tools and a new stone. I sculpt in stone, clay, silk, aluminum and copper. I create art from nearly anything I can find. I also paint, do collage and create prints with a variety of materials and the same wide-ranging enthusiasm. My goals with public art are attention to intricate detail and dramatic impact. The viewer gets awareness with a glance and an appreciation more profound from careful consideration.
