Storytellers

Let's go back to the beginning. Back to where your artistic journey began and where creativity sparked passion...

Join us for "Storytellers", an Art Speaks Gallery exhibition that shares the creative stories of Bay School Community Art Center's Teaching Artists. 

Storytellers will feature the works & writings of:

Paul Blais

Linda Brent - Linda graduated from VCU with a BFA from the Crafts Dept. She is the art teacher at Ware Academy and has lived in the area for 30 years.  She enjoys the freedom to expand what she teaches children at Ware to adults here.

Steph Brown -  Steph has been self-employed as a graphic designer since 1985. Originally from Pennsylvania, she has always had a love of the arts. Pencil drawings, pen & ink and watercolor are her favorite mediums, which led to teaching classes in PA at the art supply and framing shop she owned from 1999-2006. Her background includes trades show exhibit design, drafting, architectural design, print design and corporate identity development. She enjoys teaching more than anything else, and feels that anyone who has the desire can create- it's just a matter of helping the hand communicate what the heart feels.

Adele Castillo - Adele Castillo uses a contemporary style to create her animal portraits and pet paintings. She is an artist who has found a niche painting animals in rich, bold color.  She teaches acrylic painting and color workshops.

Saraya Cheney - Saraya believes that the healing and uplifting powers of art can make a real difference in people’s lives. She considers herself a “creative tinkerer” as she enjoys working in all artistic media. Her more recent works explore the vast world of acrylics with intuitive painting and hand-built ceramics.

Virginia Coyle - Virginia is self-taught in all her painting and other skills. Her favorite medium to work with is watercolor, because it is so unpredictable. Virginia loves to paint mermaids, fabrics, children and folk art scenes. She also enjoys being creative by drawing, sewing, and participating in other forms of artistic projects

Gary Edmondson - Gary began painting in 1984, after being inspired and taking classes under the guidance of Barkley Sheaks. Gary's work has also been heavily influenced by MAXFIELD PARRISH, JEAN-SIMONE CHARDIN, ODILON REDON, CHARLES ETHAN PORTER and SANFORD ROBINSON GIFFORD. Gifford was a member of the HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL. Gary’s works have been shown in the Morales Art Gallery in Nags Head, North Carolina, as well as The Gallery on the York, Christopher Newport College, and the Bay School Community Arts Center. He has won many awards.

Janet Griffin - retired art specialist from Gloucester County Public Schools. I’ve taught in Hampton City Schools before staying at Petsworth Elementary School for the last 25 years. I continue to be a guest teacher at other Gloucester Elementary schools. I certainly enjoyed my teaching of art to young children. I have always been amazed how children can teach me! Now I look forward to learning from adults. I grew-up in a military family, so everything was organized! I graduated from Old Dominion University, Magna cum laude, (that means I worked very hard and had no social life). My work is balanced between the 60” Macomber and 30” Leclerc Looms. My favorite weaving is Theo Moorman’s tapestry technique. I live in Gloucester Courthouse with my husband, Jim and two crazy cats.

Linda Hollett-Bazouzi - received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in art from Radford University. She is a landscape painter, represented by galleries in Richmond, Ashland, and Lexington. Hollett-Bazouzi taught art in Henrico County Public Schools for over 35 years. During that time she was awarded recognition at the local and state levels for her art program, and achieved National Board Certification in Early/Middle Childhood Art in 2002. She is a member of Oil Painters of America (OPA), the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS), and the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association (MAPAPA). A devoted en plein air painter, Hollett-Bazouzi is currently lead artist for the Virginia Plein Air Painters. She is a docent at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Kathleen Noffsinger - is an award-winning watercolor artist from Deltaville, Virginia. Her colorful paintings include lively renderings of wildlife and nature from the Chesapeake Bay, the Florida Keys and Bermuda. Working with "purist" watercolor techniques in a style that she calls" impressionistic realism",Kathleen's goal is to capture on paper a memorable and creative moment in time. Her limited edition prints are found at many fine art galleries on the East Coast and her paintings have been purchased for both private and corporate collections throughout the world.

Dale Peterson - 20 years with professional Pottery Studio and 30 years in various High Schools – presently I teach Adv. Art and Digital Media at Christchurch School near Saluda. I have a lot of portfolios available on-line at http://dalepeterson.us   -- these include pottery, Computer CAD, Traditional Painting and Drawing  -- lately I have been very involved with 3D pen drawing.