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.
Andrea Marshall 
Two years before moving to Floyd from Virginia Beach, I began making jewelry as a hobby. I gave most of what I made to friends and family as gifts. They began to encourage me to enter my work in local art shows and galleries. The word jewelry is derived from the Latin word "jocal" which means "plaything". From ancient times jewelry has been found in every region and culture of the world, made from materials such as sea shells,wood, the bones and teeth of animals, various metals and stones. Most of my jewelry is created from silver, pearls, and semi-precious stones.
540 745 4598 amlittleriver@gmail.com
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
Paula R Melton 
I have been honing my skills as an artist since childhood. Working mostly in watercolor and acrylics on everyday subjects with an eye on detail, define my art and generate a realistic style of painting. Currently my main focus in watercolors are my Blue Ridge Mountain ridges, Appalachian landscapes, flowers, rusty cars and trucks. In acrylics, I do ramshackle mountain barns, chickens and old homesteads. My limited edition prints and giclees include a variety of these subjects.
paularmelton@hotmail.com 276 728 7972
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.
Ruth Neumann "Starroot" 
Every dot I paint comes with good intentions. My painting style draws from a fusion of visions, nature, space, ancient symbols, and wild imagination. I am known as a self taught visionary Folk artist. I have been creating original
art and music in our secluded Blue Ridge Mountain Home since I moved from Germany in 1986. Acrylics are my favorite medium to paint with. Hundreds of my Originals have been purchased by private art collectors in the US and Germany. My work is in the collection of the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. I also paint custom orders in my style.
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.
Jessie Benson 
In a world of chaos, my work is an offering of refuge – an invitation to be still, to be quiet, to reflect. Each of my beeswax and oil paintings depicts such a moment in nature – a mother bird hovering over her nest and the fledgling soon to be, a hummingbird taking a sip of nectar from a delicate hanging flower, a heron gracefully standing at the water’s edge as if in contemplation. Nature is where I find my deepest peace. My work endeavors to offer the viewer a glimmer of the same.
jessiebensonfineart.com jessiebensonfineart@gmail.com facebook.com/jessiebensonfineart instagram.com/jessiebensonfineart
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!
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.
