We asked our teachers what they have been doing during the quarantine
Just Another Ordinary Day: Kathleen Noffsinger
As I try to inspire my creative self while self-isolating during Covid-19, I remind myself that I now have lots of time to paint! So why is my time spent doing other things? Well it’s because I cannot seem to actually open my palette. Instead, I am “organizing” my studio, planting my garden with flowers to photograph and paint and forgiving myself when I do nothing at all. I have read 4 novels and revisited all of my gardening books and favorite online gardening websites. Thankfully, I can keep up with my weekly watercolor class through our new private Facebook page! Yes, I give them lessons and homework and they call it Noffsinger University! I look forward to actually seeing my students in person and teaching classes and workshops again … I miss my artist friends!
I am spending lovely afternoons on our dock with my husband, Tom, feeding our freshwater fish, our pair of Canada geese (Clyde and Penelope who are expecting their goslings to hatch any day) and enjoying the antics of our resident Great Blue Heron, whom we have just named Willie Nelson to make life in isolation more fun. Willie enjoys the pleasures of fishing as much as Tom does! With my camera in hand I photograph Willie as he gives me new compositional ideas for my Heron paintings!
On my easel and my newest work-in-progress is “Just Another Ordinary Day”, 24” x 24”, Oil and Cold Wax Medium - A huge butterfly on an osprey nest! I hope to finish it by the end of April. And I am excited to share the news that my new oil painting “Flamingo Party” has been juried into the Art Speaks 2020 show coming soon to the Bay School gallery.
I will be posting updates on classes, shows, new paintings and prints on my website at www.kathleennoffsinger.com and I invite you to visit and leave a comment on the contact page. If you are in the market for a new painting or commissioned artwork, I would be happy to talk with you about your ideas! And no matter how you are spending your isolation, I hope you stay healthy and have as much fun as possible! Here’s to a very happy and joyful Spring!
Use this link https://bayschoolarts.asapconnected.com/StaffDetails.aspx?pk=70075 to check out the great classes Kathleen will be offering at the Bay School.
Use this link https://www.bayschool-arts.com/collections/kathleen-noffsinger to see the artwork Kathleen has in our galery.
We asked our teachers what they have been doing during the quarantine
Before the corona virus pandemic, I was working as a full-time Art Teacher for Suffolk Public Schools, and had several Silver and Copper classes on my calendar from March through December. Now the Public Schools are closed, metal clay classes are cancelled through May (and probably will be for June too)…sigh. I miss my elementary school students and the enjoyment of teaching metal clay classes. I tearfully took all my bags of metal clay supplies, and several kilns to my backyard studio for storage. Will just have to wait this out. I will be so happy to return to the Bay School when this is all over.
What I am doing now: I am still employed, and spend my days checking emails and answering questions that come up through the school system. I have a Google Classroom for Art and I post lessons, You Tube videos and Kahoot activities to my students who have access to a computer. I’m on my fourth week of this and it’s no fun.
What I am Working on Now:
In January of this year (pre-pandemic) I was fortunate to take a silver clay class with Master Artist Lora Hart. That was a real treat. The challenge was to construct a hollow form inspired by ancient amphorae. Think of the shape of a Greek urn…only jewelry sized…
The technique was very challenging. I built my form over a solid base, cut it off of the base in two pieces, and put it back together. That alone was a true challenge. Once I did all of that, I faced another challenge to design/ decorate it, build a lid, and design a way to make it wearable. Not sure if this will be a wearable piece, or a fancy vessel…. It is not finished…Ideas?
Cindy is offering some great classes at the Bay School! Use this link to see what she has on our calendar through the end of the year. https://bayschoolarts.asapconnected.com/StaffDetails.aspx?pk=70078
See some of Cindy's beautiful work in our gallery with this linkhttps://www.bayschool-arts.com/collections/precious-metal-clay-jewelry-by-cynthia-quesenberry
Janice Moore began teaching classes at the Bay School in 2013. Her next class, Tofu Like You've Never Tasted Before, will be Wednesday, Oct 11 10am - 1pm. In class she will cook some fabulous dishes for your lunch, including ravioli!! And she will prepare a delicious dessert that looks and feels and tastes like ice cream, but it’s made out of tofu!
Janice is a lawyer by vocation, a cook and gardener by avocation. Now a resident of Deltaville, VA, she has been cooking with tofu for almost 20 years, after deciding that the estrogen benefits would be worth the effort to learn about this mysterious protein- and estrogen-packed ingredient. Janice learned about cooking with tofu from lots of research, travels to Asia, friendly Thai restaurant chefs and lots of trial and error cooking for her very patient friends and family.
A few questions to Janice:
What made you start teaching?
Valerie Adams and Grace Small did!! Seriously, the Bay School needed new culinary courses, and Valerie talked to me about teaching when I was attending one of her classes.
What do you get out of teaching?
I"m always thrilled to introduce people to new ideas about cooking and sometimes new foods, and I always learn something, too. The tofu classes have been especially good for this, because so many people are curious about cooking with tofu but don't know where to start, and they ask lots of good questions. The Farm to Table classes have also introduced people to new ways to prepare fresh produce, and it's especially nice to have Julia Dorsey from First Day Farm to tell all of us about her farming methods and the vegetables she grows.
Tell me something people would be surprised to find out about you.
I like building things out of wood, and I have lots of tools in my garage workshop -- a drill press and a nail gun, for example. I am by no means an accomplished wood worker, but I like learning about it and making simple things like the benches in my garden.
Nan Rothwell began teaching clay classes at the Bay School in 2015. Her next class, Take Your Throwing To The Next Level, will be Saturday & Sunday, August 5 & 6 9:30am - 5pm.
Nan started making pots in England, where she studied in private studios and at the Harrow School of Art. Since 1973, she has been a studio potter in Virginia. She makes functional stoneware pottery that she sells in a variety of settings including juried exhibits, solo shows and galleries. She also teaches pottery at City Clay in Charlottesville and at multiple outside venues. She and her son made two teaching DVD's that were published by Ceramic Arts Daily. Last month, a new online teaching company called TeachinArt.com filmed Nan for a six-week throwing course that will be published soon.
A few questions to Nan:
What made you start teaching?
I had several generous, creative teachers when I first started potting, so I feel the need to pass the favor on.
What do you get out of teaching?
Two main things: First, it's challenging and creative to help someone figure out how to take an idea and translate it into clay. Second, since I am an introvert, teaching gets me out into the world and interacting with other people. It's easy for me to just stay in the studio and work. Teaching forces me to exercise my social side.
Tell me something people would be surprised to find out about you.
I fell in love with clay at 19, and except for a brief period when our children were young, I have been potting my entire adult life. Recently, when we decided to sell our rural home and studio, I thought I would stop working in clay and try doing something else. That idea lasted less than a month, and now I am in the process of setting up a smaller and more low-key pottery business in Charlottesville.
Bobbie Skerrett has been involved with the Bay School for the past 3 years. Her next class, Clay Relief Tiles, is on Thursdays, March 23 & 30 6pm - 9pm.
Bobbie attended the University of Colorado from 1969 to 1971. After that she spent time at the Feminist Studio Workshop in Los Angeles, CA. She also taken classes at the Penland School of Crafts in Pendland, NC. From 1998 - 2002 Bobbie sold her work at the oldest farmers market in the country in Olde Town Alexandria. Bobbie is currently a member of the Pottery Studio at the Bay School.
A few questions to Bobbie:
What made you start teaching?
I started teaching wheel throwing because I wanted the students to see how fun it was to move the clay.
What do you get out of teaching?
There's an expression that takes place in the class room when people catch on to what they are being told and run with it. It is inspiring to watch students discover something new and find a connection.
Tell me something people would be surprised to find out about you.
Something people would probably be shocked to learn about me is that I do feminist art.
Rita Cutler has been teaching classes at the Bay School since 2002. Her next class, Beginner Rug Hooking , is on Saturday, Feb 11 10am - 3pm. Register early to secure your spot!
Rita has revived the art of primitive and homespun rug hooking. She is the owner of the Primitively Hooked Studio in Mathews County. Rita combines traditional and new motifs with unique and striking color schemes.
A few questions to Rita:
What made you start teaching?
I love working with my hands and I love color and texture. Therefore the art of rug hooking has always appealed to me. I searched for someone who could teach me this old craft/art for many years while living in Va. Beach and continued the search when we moved to Mathews 20 years ago. Finally my persistence paid off and I have been hooking now for 18 or so years. When Wendy Wells approached me about teaching hooking at the Bay School I immediately said yes! I felt it was a small step in saving this beautiful old craft.
What do you get out of teaching?
I love teaching because again it helps to carry on the craft and I love seeing what my students will create. Each piece is always unique and I love seeing each persons take on it. At the end of the day I love walking away knowing that there are a group of new hookers out there!
Doris Hackworth has been teaching pottery classes at the Bay School since 2014. Her next class, Beginner Wheel Throwing, is on Saturday, Jan 28; Feb 4, 11, & 18 from 1pm - 4pm. Register early to secure your spot!
Doris Hackworth discovered the joy of wheel thrown pottery in 1981 through community college ceramics classes in CA. Nearly 30 years later in 2009, she took to the wheel again and has been taking classes ever since at the Bay School, the Visual Arts Center in Richmond, Nan Rothwell Pottery in Charlottesville, The Cultural Arts Center in Glen Allen, and the John C. Campbell Folk Art School in NC. Doris’ emphasis is on form and function. She loves making pots that have a job.
A few questions to Doris:
What made you start teaching?
I have always been a teacher in my heart.
What do you get out of teaching?
I take huge satisfaction in promoting the joy of handmade pottery and being a part of adults finding a creative outlet they enjoy.
Tell me something people would be surprised to find out about you.
You might be surprised to know that I taught community college biology for a while and also worked for a language school teaching English to German speakers.
With the 2016-17 school year in full swing, the Bay School Outreach Programs have hit their stride. We've adjusted the scheduling of some classes and added an additional Outreach Instructor in order to best serve our community.
The Bay School proudly welcomes Steph Brown back to our Outreach Program team! Steph has worked with the Bay School for years, offering classes to adults in a variety of media in addition to running our Free Weeks of Art throughout the summer. Steph will be taking over our YMCA Program, half of the programming at The Active Lifestyles Center and half at The Mathews Riverside Convalescent Center. Creativity and compassion flow freely when Steph is teaching and she makes a wonderful addition to the team!
Virginia Coyle is continuing with her programs at Mathews Riverside Convalescent Center, The Puller Center, The Active Lifestyles Center, Kingston Parish and Head Start.
In addition to her duties as Outreach Coordinator, Saraya Cheney, has taken on the role of Gallery Coordinator for The Art Speaks Gallery at The Bay School. She will continue to teach many of our ongoing Outreach Programs (Laurel Shelter in Gloucester, Brambles Day Support, THMS Special Education, LJES Special Education, Coastal Christian Homeschool Co-Op, SAIL Program at THMS, Teen Open Studio, OpenArts After School) in addition to developing some of our newest programs this year.
We truly do our best to meet the creative needs of all members within our community. If you feel that there are additional ways that we can provide support within Mathews or Gloucester, please do not hesitate to let us know. We love hearing how we can support and enrich the lives of those in our area.
For additional information on our Outreach Programs, questions or suggestions, call or email Saraya Cheney, Outreach Coordinator: scheney@bayschool-arts.com.
The Bay School not only provides a place for art enthusiasts to learn new techniques, but it also goes out into the Mathews/Gloucester communities to teach art enrichment programs to those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to explore the arts. The second week each month, we’ll give you a peek into the many educational programs that are powered by grants and other generous donors.
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Every Wednesday, from 3-5pm, the Bay School joins forces with the Mathews Family YMCA to teach the OpenArts After School Program. This special arts session introduces students to a different artist/technique each month and provides a much needed, “art break” for the students that attend. Led by Saraya Cheney, Bay School Outreach Coordinator, and Virginia Coyle, Bay School Teaching Artist, the students are welcome to explore, make messes and create something beautiful. In past months, the student artists have explored the works of Vincent Van Gogh, George Rodrigue and most recently Roy Lichtenstein. This program has been generously funded by the Richard and Caroline T. Gwathmey Memorial Trust, making it open, and free, to the general public. Elementary, middle, and home school students here in Mathews are welcome to join the YMCA campers in this art adventure!
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For more information about this or any of our other outreach programs, please contact us directly via phone or email – 804-725-1278 scheney@bayschool-arts.com.
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Christopher Wynn will be teaching “A Crash Course in Watercolor” at the Bay School on Thursday & Friday, Nov. 19 & 20. Christopher majored in fine art at the University of Washington, Seattle, and the University of California Berkley, where he graduated with a B.S. Further art studies include Otis Parsons Art Institute and Santa Monica JC, and Foothill JC in Los Altos, CA.
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He worked for years as an Art Director and Creative Director for numerous corporations and advertising agencies on the West Coast. In 1992 he began www.wynncreative.com and produced artwork and campaigns for many of Silicon Valley’s largest and most successful companies.
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In 2005 and 2006, Christopher circumvented the globe solo for seven months to paint watercolors en plein aire in over 24 countries. Currently, his watercolors are represented by a number of art galleries and art venues on the West and East Coast and many around Richmond, VA. He generously donated one of his paintings to the Bay School Fine Arts Auction this year |
Christopher paints contemporary realism with a loose style. He typically “mixes and rolls” the paint directly on the paper to achieve soft, organic gradients of color, transitions virtually impossible in any other medium. There is always an element of “hit and miss” with these techniques, which often bring surprising results. Here are some pictures from his first class at the Bay School, in February, along with some of his own work.
