Gallery Artists
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How We Operate
In addition to offering classes and programs, we are pleased to display and consign art from over two dozen talented artists who work in a variety of media, styles, and techniques.
Prior to joining Arts on Main, aspiring Gallery Artists submit an application and sample of their work for our Gallery Jury to review. Some of the factors the Jury considers is how the art fits with other pieces currently on display in the gallery, whether or not it would resonate with our audience and community, and how much space we have available.
To get more information about becoming a gallery artist, please contact Alisa Potter at gallerymanager@gloucesterarts.org or call us at 804-824-9464. We look forward to seeing your work!
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Jason Abbott
Jason Abbott – “Art has always played a major role in my life. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to share my art. I am a self-taught artist. I have spent my life experimenting, learning, and building my technique. My desire is to create art that evokes an emotion in the observer.” Medium: Oil
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Joyce Badanes
Joyce Badanes’ work is intuitive. She draws on what she has learned from quilting friends and well-known artists. Artwork with fabric is paramount in her life. She is continually learning and loving the process. Medium: Fiber
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Joan Bevelaqua
Joan Bevelaqua– As a successful painter in the District of Maryland and Virginia, Joan Bevelaqua has made her mark on many aspects of the artistic community. She primarily works in watercolor and oil and has held teaching positions, juried art exhibitions, and directed several galleries. She has also held several organizational positions, including serving as President of the Watermark Gallery in Baltimore, MD, and on the Board of Directors for Foundry Street Studios and Gallery in Savage, MD.
“My paintings are based on careful observation. I challenge my ability to create the illusion of the real while exploring psychological and subconscious themes. I have always reverenced the personal hoping the images will speak as a poem. My most recent work was formed from a phase I had in a dream, “The Myth of Possession”. This phase started me on a long path exploring what we think we possess in life and what we do not.” Medium: Watercolor and Oil
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Al Bryan
Al Bryan is a professional landscape architect (retired) and fine artist. Having grown up in rural North Carolina surrounded by forest and farmland, spending summer vacations in the mountains and along the coast, Al enjoys painting nature's awe-inspiring moments, capturing relics of the past and telling family tales in pastel and graphite. Wildlife (native birds in particular), old boats and rusty trucks are among his favorite subjects to paint. Al also enjoys creating pet portraits on commission. Al’s preferred media is Pastel and Graphite. For pastel, Al uses a combination of brilliant soft pastels with medium pastel sticks and pastel pencils for achieving fine details not usually seen in pastel art. But Al is a “realist” and enjoys creating the finest details in his work to draw the viewer in to the painting to see what is there. Al also completes his own framing using a variety of refinished vintage frames and barn board frames made in the mid-west.
Media: Pastel and Graphite -
Renate Bumgarner
Renate Bumgarner, an award-winning European-born artist, studied and worked during her early years in Germany. A widow at 29, she then studied art in Frankfurt and later in Wurzburg and the Institute of Art. While working for the US Military in Germany, she was an instructor at the Education Center in Schweinfurt. Currently, she works primarily in oil, watercolor, and pastel. She has received many awards at shows and exhibitions over the years. Bumgarner continues to display her work in Europe, where she continues to have a presence. You can find her work locally displayed in galleries and gift shops in Fredricksburg, Gloucester, Norfolk, Williamsburg, Mathews, and Yorktown, Virginia. The Village Art Gallery and Arts on Main both show her work. Renate also teaches oil painting classes at Arts on Main, bringing over 30 years of experience as a painter & teacher to help you create your own masterpiece! Media: Oil, Watercolor, Pastel, Repousse
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Bill Casto
Bill Casto – “I am an Interpretive Wood Sculptor concentrating primarily on wildfowl. I use driftwood from local waters and found weathered wood to carve interpretive or stylized pieces of art. I attempt to capture the essence of the wildfowl rather than a realistic duplication of the subject. My sculptures emphasize form, content, movement, and are totally original and one of a kind. I am a former College Football Coach and Athletic Director locally at the College of William and Mary and The Apprentice School. I have been carving wildfowl sculptures for over 20 years competing at the top level for the past level ten years at the prestigious “Ward World Wildfowl Carving Championships. In 2013 my entry “Crane Dance” placed “Third Best in World” (Interpretive Division). In 2014 my sculpture “Swan Dive” was judged “Second Best in World”. In 2015 my carving “Wild Riders” placed 1ST “Best in the World”. In 2016 “Arctic Tern” was awarded 2nd in “Masters” Interpretive Division. In 2017 “Wingman” placed 2nd in “Masters” and “Lil Egret” won 3rd place.” Medium: Wood
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Gloria Coker
Gloria Coker was an illustrator for the Newport News, Virginia Daily Press (a Chicago Tribune newspaper) newsroom for twelve years before pursuing her career as a professional fine artist. Her work there included illustrating newsroom and feature stories as well as courtroom art, which appeared in the newspaper and on TV. The 2021 Netflix documentary, “The Innocence Files” showcases some of her work. Her work for the police departments depicting the perpetrators of crimes has resulted in convictions.
She was a volunteer as the artist at the Virginia Living Museum, painting and drawing for children and guests. Gloria also demonstrates in college classrooms and for fundraising auctions such the New American Theater in Hampton, Virginia. She has been a guest speaker lecturing on her art through the South.
Her loose and vivid acrylics capture her feelings about people of all ages as they engage in their passions and everyday activities. She displays most of her art including musicians and dancers, in the office of Associates in Dermatology in Hampton, Virginia and in her studio by appointment. Her collectors are worldwide. Her awards are numerous.
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Ellen DeMaria
Ellen DeMaria paints watercolors, acrylics, and mixed media with an expressive brushstroke, often depicting her beloved waters of the Chesapeake Bay region of Virginia, as well as the ocean nearby. Ellen’s family owns a seafood business which has given her insight into the often-rugged waterman’s life and the inherent beauty in the rustic elements surrounding that livelihood.
She refers to her painting style as “abstract realism” and when painting each day, she states that is a very intuitive process. While frequently inspired by an image–either up-close or from a photo–her paintings often begin with an idea that leads her to create unexpected artworks, hopefully evoking feelings for the viewer. Ellen has been painting for about 35 years, and continues to take workshops and painting seminars with some of the country’s finest watercolorists. Medium: Watercolor
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Carolyn Thompson Dudley
Carolyn Thompson Dudley – “My artwork comes from my perception of the landscape and the people around me. Whether it be through realistic or abstract representation, the goal of my work is to not only document my experience in a setting but to create an experience for the viewer as well. The following poem By Mary Oliver, ‘At Blackwater Pond’, inspires me greatly.”
“At Blackwater Pond the tossed waters have settled
after a night of rain.
I dip my cupped hands. I drink
a long time. It tastes
like stone, leaves, fire. It falls cold
into my body, waking the bones. I hear them
deep inside me, whispering
oh what is that beautiful thing
that just happened.“
Medium: Oil
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Bren Leinbach Douros
Bren Leinbach Douros grew up roaming the fields of rural North Carolina and says she still loves to follow unknown paths today. Using both oils and watercolors, her work captures the enduring beauty of the historic area, animals, landscapes, flowers “I view each painting as an experimental journey and I am never entirely sure where it will lead me.”
She received her BFA from UNC Greensboro. Later, while working as an Interior Business Designer she received commissions for paintings of skiers for a resort in Banner Elk,NC and beach scenes for a Hilton Head Resort.
After visiting Williamsburg in 1976, Bren began her lifelong business adventure, The Lamplighter Shoppe. She consulted with William & Mary on lighting for the Wren Building and for Colonial Williamsburg on a multitude of projects, and she developed street lighting and interior flickering candles to meet their unique needs.
One friend, a historical interior designer, wanted historical paintings. This led tocommissions of 18th century style oil portraits and landscapes.
She consults regularly with clients on lighting for their homes and businesses. Light is very important in my paintings, as well as in a client's home.
Bren Leinbach Douros paints regularly with the Kingsmill Art Group. When she is not painting, you can find Bren in her workshop repairing lamps, behind her computer researching a new curiosity, or in her kitchen making healthy dog food for Tessa, her beloved English Setter.
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James Warwick Jones
James Warwick Jones is a realist painter who captures light, shadow, design and emotion in acrylics and watercolor. James focuses on a range of subjects and often includes ordinary things transformed by the artist’s eye.
Born in Hampton, VA he studied with Jack Whitney Clinton, Will Barnet, Walter Stuempfig and others at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and graduated from ODU with a BS in Secondary Art Education. After teaching over 47 years and working 36 years in curatorial and programming at the Peninusula Fine Art Center and Charles Taylor Visual Arts Center, he retired as gallery manager in 2018 and continues to teach painting classes at Charles Taylor. James has exhibited in more than 250 exhibitions and won over 200 awards. His work is represented in over 20 public and corporate collections including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Phillip Morris, Portsmouth Museums, Wachovia Bank, CSX Corporation, and the Charles Taylor Visual Arts Center. Medium: Acrylic and Watercolor
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Kay Krapfl
Kay Krapfl -Krapfl (pronounced kra-full) was born in Dallas, Texas. As a child, she showed a strong interest in art and loved to experiment with different forms and media. Her present work is comprised of the knowledge she has gained along with lessons learned from that early experimentation. Kay has had the pleasure of studying with Stephanie Pace of the New York Museum of Modern Art, George McNeil of Pratt Institute, Ann Cushing Gantz of Dallas, John Gordon of the Des Moines Art Institute, and has attended classes at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Kay is a member of the Portrait Society of America and a founding member of the Williamsburg Portrait Guild. Medium: Acrylic
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Diane G Keen
“My paintings don’t take life too seriously. It’s all about humor, poking fun at life and making no attempt to portray actual animals, plants, or people! In my perfect artist’s world, your smile makes me smile!”
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Michael S. Kravchak , Sr.
Michael S. Kravchak , Sr. – “I majored in architecture in college, with a minor in art history. I studied under Professor Amy Fell, Professor John Gardner, and Sculpture Professor, J. Cherry. I have always enjoyed the Arts, and I have experimented in many mediums, i.e., pencil, oils, acrylics, pen and ink, and clay sculpture.
For many years, I painted and sketched for relaxation; however, I always wanted to learn to work in watercolor. Upon my retirement as a District Manager from UGI, an energy company, I took my first course in watercolor with Robert Burnell at Portsmouth Fine Arts Institute. I have also taken a semester course with Betty Anglin at Christopher Newport University.
I have found my greatest challenge and satisfaction working in watercolor. I enjoy painting local and historical scenes from the Tidewater area and along the Chesapeake Bay. I also enjoy painting scenes from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and many other beautiful places I have been fortunate enough to visit.
I am a member of the Charles H. Taylor Art Center and Yorktown Arts Foundation.” Medium: Watercolor
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Olivia Hartman
Olivia Hartman – From Williamsburg, VA, Olivia Hartman has been making jewelry since 2005. All Grace Llewellyn jewelry is handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces made of the finest quality semi-precious stones, pearls, and sterling silver. Custom designs quoted upon request. Medium: Jewelry
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Lawrence Hollingsworth
Lawrence Hollingsworth, a native of Norfolk, Virginia, derived his inspiration to paint from Country and Coastal landscapes and museum visits during his travels as an antiques importer in Europe and the U.K. He studied the styles and painting techniques of a wide range of past and present painters such as Turner, Corot, Courbet and Schmid, et.al. His primary medium is oil on canvas or linen and has patrons both in the Continental U.S. and Europe. He received his Doctorate Degree from the College of William and Mary in Virginia and he currently resides in Gloucester, Virginia. Medium: Oil
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John Latell
John Latell – Graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University as a sculpture student, Latell’s work with metal is a blend of variable nature, the creative impulse, and effort. Metal, as a structural material, is a full three-dimensional pallet for sculpture. He worked in Pittsburgh for more than ten years, building large-scale sculptures in steel mills, public spaces, and galleries. Since then he has owned and operated a metal art studio for more than a decade in rural Virginia. The work he does is reflected in the patterns of the land and humanity’s efforts to harness them. Medium: Metal
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Dia Lawless
Dia Lawless, originally from Williamsburg, has lived in Mathews County for more than 30 years. She was raised in an extremely artistic family who encouraged her to be creative in life. In 2021, Dia was working at a performing arts center and began to make jewelry from guitar strings, primarily g strings. Subsequently, G Strings, Gems, and Leather was conceived. Not long after, Dia realized she had a passion for weaving beads and began designing and weaving beautiful one-of-a-kind pieces. Medium: Beads, Gemstones, Leather, and Metals
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Joann Sybil Lawson
Joann Sybil Lawson – “I like painting flowers, fruits, and vegetables and making a painting that someone might enjoy. I try to do work that I can respect myself for, and, hopefully, be respected for. Through guidance and excellent instruction, I have come to realize that a good painting is not necessarily the result of great talent or technique, but of patience and perseverance.” Joann has exhibited several times in Hampton, VA, at the Charles H. Taylor Art Center, the International Miniature Art Show, Seaside Art Gallery in Nags Head, NC, and participated in the Daffodil Festival Poster Competition in Gloucester. Medium: Acrylic
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Judy Mays
Judy Mays is a native Virginian, with very deep family roots dating back to Jamestown. In 1978 she left the area and moved with her husband, an executive with the General Electric Company, to Cincinnati, OH, where they lived for twenty-three years. While living in Cincinnati she studied at the Middletown Fine Arts Center, in Middletown, OH, and the Art League in Wyoming, OH, where she won several awards.
Upon returning to Virginia in 2001, Judy studied at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Studio School for many years in addition to studying with other professional artists in Virginia. She has won many significant awards throughout the Hampton Roads region.
Her favorite medium is oil; however, she also enjoys working in pastels. Her favorite subjects to paint are children’s portraits, still life, and figurative scenes.
Judy and her husband currently reside in Williamsburg where she is active in several local art organizations.
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Harriet McGee
Harriet McGee says “Inspiration is everywhere and it ends up as an expression of what I experience.” She currently lives in the Tidewater area and travels extensively. Her works reflect her interest in different cultures, their art, and folklore. She has worked in multiple mediums: watercolors, papier-mache, acrylics, and polymer clay. Currently, she creates designs using a repoussé technique using lightweight metal. The design is made by pushing the metal from the back, giving it depth. Color or texture is then added to the front. One of her works hangs in the permanent collection of The Hurn Museum of Contemporary Folk Art. Medium: Mixed
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TIERNEY MILLER
Tierney Miller - “Each of my works captures not only a visual interpretation, but includes the spiritual nature of a moment…” While attending high school & college, Tierney’s interest in travel led her to pursue a career in photo-journalism. The time spent behind the camera and in the darkroom greatly enhanced her observation skills and refined her eye for detail. Until recently, designing, owning and operating retail establishments has been Tierney’s primary professional focus. She has always had an appreciation for art & was considering a second career in art brokerage & appraisal, when a major turning point came in the summer of 1996. On a whim she decided to enroll in a fine art painting class. She returned to Western State College in Gunnison, CO and earned her BFA in Sculpture in 1999. She has been creating and exhibiting her art ever since. Serving as a catalyst for her work, Tierney’s passion for travel continues.
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Rose Nygaard
Rose has a Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from American University In Washington, DC. She has been working in Abstract Art for the last thirty years.
Rose enjoys figurative, still life, and abstract painting and printing. She also experiments with collage as another way of expressing ideas and emotions. She works in different mediums; working boldly with color and shape. The design of the work relies on the color, shape, and weight of pigment and how it affects the visual and visceral reaction of the artist. An Award-winning acrylic painter, Rose teaches an ongoing series of acrylic classes.
Medium: Acrylic
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Stacey Posner
Stacey Posner – “I love the feel of the clay, the creativity of it, the ability to reproduce the natural beauty that surrounds us, particularly in Virginia. I like to focus on nature; beautiful plants, birds, animals that I can incorporate into pottery with carving, painting, or texture. I also like to make pottery that is strong and functional. It’s meant to be used and enjoyed every day.”
Medium: Ceramics
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Tenley Raithel
”My life has been a journey of using the joys of creative expression. Sometimes it has been through art, sometimes it has been while I taught children as an elementary school educator often using art as the avenue for students to demonstrate their learning, and really, I have used creativity in each activity I have engaged in throughout life. Each of our unique creativity rubs off on all do that we do. When someone says, “I’m not good at art”, I always say, “Actually, you just need more practice.” I allow my creative nature to direct my work and find currently that it is calling me towards simplifying my subject and responding to the artwork as I go, layer upon layer, thinking of the design as a whole rather than specifically on the details of the image. This is a process on connecting with my soul and giving creativity room to find its expression through my art.”
Medium: Watercolor
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Robert Schuler
Robert Schuler – “My paintings primarily reflect regional splendors and rural landscapes. I especially enjoy painting Watermen and their old workboats, Skipjacks in particular. My affinity for the watermen, their environment and their work are very inspiring to me. I am inspired by rural old things, buildings that are crooked, Victorian homes, and old work boats with rust…they all capture my attention. I also enjoy capturing portraits of cherished homes and beloved pets in watercolor. When showing my artwork, I like to feel the viewer’s connection to the art. Their feedback, familiarity or memories of the subject I’ve painted fill in the details for me and makes the piece even more interesting. It gives more meaning to the painting. I find great pleasure in establishing an interaction with the viewers of my work.” Medium: Acrylic, Oil, & Watercolor
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DAVID STIFEL
David Stifel is a glass artist who owns and operates York River Glassworks in Gloucester, Virginia. He is professionally trained and continues to expand his artistic pratice and class portfolio. Arts on Main is delighted to have David as one of its long standing Gallery Artists and teachers.
Medium: Glass
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Lew Thatcher
Lew Thatcher creates fine art in Vail, Colorado, and on the Virginia shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Over 40 years of sailing and exploring the waters, marshes, and harbors of the Chesapeake have provided him a vast wealth of maritime subjects.
Reasoning that art is a form of graphic communication, Lew paints in the realist genre. His work is detailed, focused, and believable. Influencers have included living masters Daniel E. Green, Scott Christensen, Alan Flattman, and others. He is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters’ Association and the American Society of Marine Artists. Gallery representation is by On-The-Hill Gallery and Yorktown Hall Gallery, both in Yorktown, VA, and Vail Valley Art Guild Gallery in Eagle, CO. Medium: Oil
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Victoria Watson
Victoria Watson is native to and currently resides in Newport News, Virginia. Her early artistic interests were in the realistic portrayal of horses, which set the foundation for understanding the structural anatomy of other animals. She immersed and dedicated herself in art-related studies through the years and explored aspects of impressionism, surrealism, and representational realism. Victoria’s primary interest is rendering detailed portraits of people and animals, investigating the subtle nuances of character that personify each one. In the past 10 years, most of her work comes from commissioned portraits. Victoria’s preferred media are graphite, Prisma color pencils, mixed media, and oils. Medium: Multi Media
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Rebecca West
Rebecca West – “I have been an artist since birth. Mostly I paint, but sometimes I sculpt. I believe life is art. Creation is art. Most of my adult life has been lived in the sky as a professional pilot. I have drawn inspiration from the ever-changing skyscape and many visits to breathtaking landscapes. I paint to create something new that wasn’t there before. I sculpt to give form to my ideas which could or could not have a basis in reality.
Art is freedom”
Medium: Multi Media