Original Sin by Doug Sutherland on display September 5 - October 31, 2008 at Visual Art Studio.

During a twenty-year period as a professional artist, Professor Sutherland’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions in numerous cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Jacksonville. Prior to joining University of Tampa, he instructed at Ventura College, California State University, and the Otis Art Institute, as well as other colleges and centers for art.

Shellion, scenes cast with coastal creatures has closed with nearly half of the show selling.  Please visit the gallery at Visual Art Studio to see more art work by this prolific and popular Chester artist.

DAN RHETT has many artistic talents ranging from card game creator and painter to the cover artwork on the premier issue of CAVE WALL. See the issue and read poetry from it at www.cavewallpress.com.

RHETT primarily works in oils with figurative subject matter often working back and forth from sketchbooks and paintings to develop ideas. Most notably, he paints from his imagination rather than sketching from life or photographs. He earned a BFA in Painting and Printmaking from VCU in 1990. More of Rhett's artwork is available to view at: http://gallery.cafe64.net/ His work is represented in private collections throughout Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Richmond artist Karen Kain already paints with two hands, has already explored the space between two brushes, between two lines, however up to this moment, they have both been hers! For the First Friday May 2 reception of Jumping through Hoops, How I Slept my way to the Top, Kain gave an artist talk at 7pm discussing the new direction her work is taking as she begins to develop and show a new creative process and a new body of collaborative work. For the remainder of the evening, there will be a table set up with Asian brushes, sumi ink and rice paper, so you can try your hand at being one of the hands for a painting!

New artwork by participating artists is featured through Friday May 30th in Jumping through Hoops, How I Slept my way to the Top, tongue in cheek mixed media adventures by Anne Hart Chay with special guest artists Eric Garner (nonobjective painting), Karen Kain (works on paper and limited edition prints), Katherine Benner (fiber art) and Nick Sullivan www.njsullivanphotography.com. Jumping through Hoops, How I Slept my way to the Top challenges our definitions of what is the "top," the struggle, the silence and the prayers with a humorous twist that explores universal feelings like the promises of tomorrow and the lies we tell ourselves as we continue to jump through all those hoops hoping to make it to the top. 
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Karen Kain – Artist Statement
As an artist I generally aim to capture what I dub the muscle of negative space. If negative space is the visual space between the outer edges of two bodies, then the muscle of negative space is the magnetic push or pull between these edges. The space which, as it increases or decreases, characterizes each moment in a relationship. These small yet surprisingly life size forces commonly slip away unnoticed, squandered, yet they are what engross me and implore me to paint. 

For years I have worked with two hands simultaneously to harness the power of that "force-field" between them, as illustrated in this show by the linoblock print: Then you wake, and your fingers fill with meanings and the painted digital print: What is hidden in our chests? Laughter (on display). Up to this point those two hands have generally been my own. That is about to change!

The Asian brush was developed and refined to leave the trace of the spirit of a man on paper. Not unlike the way a comet leaves a trail in the sky. Mightn’t it be equally capable of capturing the spirit of the relationship between two people? After all, why couldn't painting mirror directly something of the unique space that exists between two individuals at any given time? Is the negative space between two people made up of shared history, or simply merging energies of a moment? In this show I explored both:

VIRTUAL TWOS - Shared History: Three weeks ago with the theme Jumping through Hoops, How I slept my way to the Top in mind, I put out a letter to my twenty closest friends, relatives and lovers--the people who have gotten "under my skin" and made me who I am today--requesting the return of a postcard with a single line made thinking of a moment shared with me. The response was overwhelming, and the lines far more complex than anticipated. It became such a joy to collect the mail every day! In the end, I had barely time enough to compose them all together on one painted print Karma-Go-Round (on display) and then peer down upon them all in another: The Seed Market (on display). Several unlikely companions are found in Three Short Stories: Boy Meets Girl (on display) as well, all on display at Visual Art Studio- including the postcards.

REAL TIME TWOS – Energies Mingling: Next, I engaged three artists I already knew who could work with me directly in the studio, one with a shared history (20Yrs –above-right), one I had never met, and two friendly acquaintances. Up to four of us at a time simultaneously laid down ink lines on the receptive rice paper. 

I have determined to cultivate the process that would allow a twosome to paint in harmony--yet true to themselves, each other and the composition. These encounters have helped me define the collaborative process that honors the best characteristics of the materials, the makers, and the moment. The joy of this process has given me a thirst for creating more work in this way which will be on display through May 30 at Visual Art Studio.

*Special Thanks to Anne Hart Chay for the invitation, I had HEAPS of fun playing in and around your theme! Also to the Artists who shared the sheets (of paper!) with me: Rosanna Lopez Haugh, Scott Haugh, Catherine Venable, and Tim Saukiavicus.

BIOGRAPHY
Captivated by the consciously awkward grace of Zen monks painting in the Zenga tradition, Kain rounded out her arts degrees from Brown University and the Art Institute of Chicago apprenticing with brush painter and noted Zen translator Kazuaki Tanahashi, culminating in a style and working method all her own. After a lengthy period of mental preparedness, Kain invents new calligraphic characters from live figure models in seconds. Ironically, while she wields ancient calligraphy brushes in both hands with spontaneous finesse, her nudes themselves remain vulnerably armless, giving form to the spaces within and between each of us, addressing questions of love and coupling and our ultimate aloneness. As well as having been selected to show at the Asian Cultural Center in New York City, her solo show in Perth, Australia last year means she can now claim to have exhibited both internationally and bi-hemispherically.

Currently, when she is not in Australia painting, exhibiting and studying the powerful work of aboriginal painters, she still sleeps sandwiched contentedly between her cat and her dog in her Richmond Northside home. So far, her attempts to paint with these companions have not born productive results.

Selected artwork is still available from "Softly September," the previous exhibition of oil by Cathyann L. Burgess, 3 Dimensional oil on panel by Michael Gettings and Sculpture by Allen Jessee.  Please visit Visual Art Studio or call 804.644.1368 for more details.

Cathyann L. Burgess, a Fulton Hill Studio artist, has taken a leap of faith with her exhibition, quitting her full time teaching position to pursue her artwork full time. She has artwork in the permanent collection of Media General and the Federal Reserve Bank.

Three Dimensional Panels by Michael Gettings and sculpture by Allen Jessee is still available in the main gallery from the previous exhibition "Softly September."  Please visit the gallery to see selected work or call (804) 644-1368 for more information and to show your support!
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Allen Jessee - Artist Biography/Statement 
Richmond Sculptor Allen Jessee is featuring his nature-inspired wall hangings and sculpture through Friday, October 26, 2007 at Visual Art Studio.  Jessee's works, known for incorporating flora and fauna, often with humorous and whimsical titles, are geared to the garden element, working mostly in aluminum and bronze, and creating timeless pieces such as garden gates, wall hangings, benches, screens and tabletop sculptures.  His most recent commissions include a series of ten Egyptian-inspired bronze screens for the new Healing Garden at the Massey Cancer Center, and a limited series of James River-inspired tabletop sculptures titled "King of the James", for Virginia Commonwealth University.  A native of Southwestern Virginia and graduate of VCU, Jessee spent his early years exploring the nature-laden banks of the Clinch River, where he developed a lifelong love of nature, and a deep reverence for its beauty.  Most recently, he introduced "Walks of Art", taking his sculpture onto the ground in the form of custom designed, colored and textured concrete walkway art. Checkout more of Allen Jessee's work at http://www.mcsdesignandproduction.com/allenjessee/ 

Good Neighbor Village Desk Top 2009 Calendars are available through pre-order for a  $25 donation to the art fund for the residents of GNV.  Get yours at Visual Art Studio by calling Anne at 804.644.1368. 

In memory of my brother, Hunter Hart who lived at Good Neighbor Village in Founders Cottage for 12 years, Visual Art Studio proudly presents the premier Good Neighbor Village Desk Top Calendar 2008 created by the residents of Good Neighbor Village along with an amazing showcase of artwork from which it was created and was on display through November 30, 2007.

In my Brother's Memory opened First Friday, November 2nd from 7-10pm  with special thanks to Diane Inman, Judy Knauf and the Board of Good Neighbor Village for their help with coordinating this project and the Sponsors who made printing the calendar possible:
All About Family, Inc. www.allaboutfamilyinc.com

George Athy Upholstery, Inc. 214 W. Broad St. 804.648.8095

MCS Design & Production, Inc.
www.mcsdesignandproduction.com

Precious-Images Photography
www.precious-images.net

Visual Art Studio www.visualartstudio.org

Special thanks to Consignment Connection for donating their frames. Please visit them at 5517 Lakeside Ave. 804.261.3600 

  - Anne Hart Chay

The Good Neighbor Village Desk Top Calendar is $25 with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the art fund for the residents of GNV. This fund will pay for supplies, materials, visiting artists & future art related activities for the residents of GNV. www.goodneighborvillage.org

The residents of Good Neighbor Village enjoy living in a family like setting that allows them the pleasure of friends, activities, work and leisure. Art has always been a valuable tool to unlock hidden talent and emotional resources within people of all ages. These special individuals have eagerly met the challenge of creating art as they envision it; they paint using clay, pottery or pencil. They are truly artists because they have used the tools of art to transform the images in their minds into those that we can see, touch and enjoy.  To learn more please visit www.goodneighborvillage.org 

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BOOKS! Richmond artist & author Michael Bollinger has created written apparitions of poetry and short stories in his new book currently available at Visual Art Studio. Kathryn Starke's new book, "Amy's Travels" teaches lessons based on the Virginia Standards of Learning for kindergarten through 5th grade, including relative locations, cardinal directions, the seven continents, maps and varied world perspectives. For more information please call Anne at Visual Art Studio, 804.644.1368. 

L-R: "Tossin and Turning," mixed media on canvas by D.C. artist Rosetta DeBerardinis and "Parrish the Thought," mixed media sculpture by Richmond artist Guy Barnard. Right: "Softly September" Sept-Oct. 2007, oil by Cathyann L. Burgess, 3 dimensional oil on panel paintings by Michael Gettings and sculpture (Dragonfly Patio, above) by Allen Jessee. "Twist and Shout" April 6 – May 25, 2007, gestural paintings by D.C. Artist Rosetta DeBerardinis and mixed media sculptures by Richmond Artist Guy Barnard. Please contact the gallery for artwork from these exhibitions at (804) 644-1368.
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FEBRUARY - MARCH 2007  OLIVERIO CORRALES
"Andean Traditions in Ecuador"
The central theme of my paintings is the human being and I always seek the way to reflect his positive side. In this Andean theme I have placed special emphasis on showing what for me is the essence of the Indigenous Ecuadorian. Its millenary culture, its roots inherited from generation to generation, its wisdom, its sublime respect for the Mother Land ( Pacha Mama ), its spiritual richness and nobility have inspired me to present through my paintings this entity with dignity and possessor of a ancestral pride. To achieve this objective, I started from the real world, transferred this entity to the Magical Realism or Surrealism - tendencies with which my work has been identified and allows me to give free rein to my imagination, without distortion of the true essence of the human being, while offering an aesthetic alternative which is different an original."
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JUNE 2006
'20 Painter's Problems', Oil on Canvas by Kurt Treeby of Buffalo, New York opened June 2 through June 30, 2006. The inspiration for this body of work is a book entitled 'The Painter's Problem Book: 20 Problem Subjects and How to Paint Them.' Published in the 1970's, it is a 'how to' book that leads the reader to believe that by following along step-by-step, all manner of tricky paint situations can be conquered. Though Treeby discarded the instructional aspects of the book to focus on the objects identified as 'problems' his instinct, experience and training brought to extreme conclusion make each object come alive with stunning reality.

Treeby has exhibited nationwide. His work has appeared in venues across New York State, as well as at shows in California, Georgia, and Louisiana. In addition to mailing art, he is an instructor of studio art and art appreciation at the State University of New York, College at Brockport. He lives and works in Buffalo.
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MAY 2006
Both Mattox and Lipscomb have concerns with the juxtaposition of physical versus mental spaces and encourage their audience to Enter their world. Mattox uses color shapes and hard edge lines, with botanical references, to define her paintings. Her places, whether of the mind or body, are intense, energetic and mysterious. Lipscomb's surfaces are constructed by merging color layers against individual marks. She strives to create a visual environment ... like a door, enticing the viewer to enter and experience.
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FEB. 3 - MARCH 10, 2006: Necessary Dreams, Mixed media, Dry Pastel and Colored Pencil Drawings by D.C artist, Vera Blagev. Line, Color, Life, Oil Pastels by Michael Preston. Colors and Miracles which Surround Us, Photography by Luciano D'Aria and It is What it Is… Glass & Mixed Media by Mary Johnson moved from Sledd/Winger Glassworks.

VERA BLAGEV - Artist Statement
Artist Vera Blagev is showcasing her recent drawings in this exhibition "Necessary Dreams" which features colorful and contemporary mixed media works that combine colored pencil and dry pastel. Blagev's work focuses on the commonality of all people by exploring how human emotions, aspirations, and a connection to nature are similar across geographic boundaries. She has taken particular inspiration from the striking landscapes and diverse people she has encountered during her childhood in Bulgaria and her travels throughout the U.S. and various parts of the world, including Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
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SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2005
"Christo’s Gates" was a City wide exhibition of fine art photographs and paintings of Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Central Park Gates Project. Painters and Photographers of the Blue Ridge Photographic Arts Society of Lynchburg Tammy Bryant, Kathy Cudlin, George Edwards, Margie Hatcher, Kelly Mattox, Ginny Schmidt of Lynchburg, Andrew Wilds of Hendersonville, North Carolina, and Jim Hopkins of Manhattan were in Central Park at various times during the two week duration of the Gates project. They each bring their personal vision, their unique way of seeing, to a lighthearted and exciting photography and painting exhibit. SELECTED PRINTS CURRENTLY ON SALE AT VISUAL ART STUDIO.

STATEMENT
On the morning of February 12, in New York City’s Central Park, over 7,500 steel gates stood ready to have their bright saffron-colored fabric unfurled by eager volunteer workers. The Gates, a temporary installation art project of enormous scope and impact, was the long-held dream of the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who had begun thinking about the project in 1979.

As the morning got underway, the panels of orange fabric were loosened to float in the wind, to glow with the morning sun, and each unfurling was met with the cheers and encouragement of a joyful crowd. After all the sadness of 9/11, New York City was proving it was alive and exciting, full of hope and happiness, art, eccentricity, brilliance, and tremendous enterprise.

One art critic, writing for the New Yorker magazine, called the project an experience “pitiable to be missed.” However, no one in the Richmond area need miss a personal viewing of the Gates, because eight fine artists brought the experience to Visual Art Studio and Bank of America through December 31, 2005.

The story of the Gates is a joyful one. It is a celebration of Christo and Jeanne-Claude and their combined creative genius, perseverance, and admirable philanthropy. And it is a celebration of New York City. No
public funds went into the creation of the Gates, and all proceeds from merchandise were donated to the Central Park Nature Conservancy and the charitable foundation, Nurture New York. The removal of the Gates began on February 28 and was completed on March 11, 2005. Between opening day and the final dismantling, thousands of New Yorkers and thousands of tourists made their way under the bright orange arches that ran through 23 miles of Central Park pathways.

The eight artists in Christ's Gates capture the scope of the project, the landscape-altering patches of bright orange in a winter scene, the expressions on the faces in the crowds, the Gates in sun, rain, and snow—and they have brought all those memorable images home with them to share.
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FEBRUARY/MARCH EXHIBITION 2005: "2 too 3: Dimensional Art for all Spaces," New Furniture and Digital Print Media by artist Paul Troy of Dun Cow Design and Art in Savannah, Georgia.

PAUL TROY was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. For eleven years he attended an elementary education in music and art at the Toledo Museum of Art and doubled majored in art and mathematics at Sylvania High School.

He began a career in the service and entertainment industry owning his first small business at twenty one. He was commissioned and completed a number of wall murals in both private homes and public establishments along with a completed design installation for a restaurant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Mr. Troy owned and operated a group of enterprises compositely known as Dream Days which included an antique retail outlet, a furniture restoration and design shop, and an entertainment brokerage agency. He graduated summa cum laude with his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Furniture Design from The Savannah College of Art and Design in 2000. He is a published writer and poet/performer and has a variety of commissioned design pieces and a digital art portfolio to his credit.

He is currently the owner of DunCowDesign Studios and is well known throughout the Southeast as a custom furniture craftsman of innovative design and meticulous skill. Over the last few years, Mr. Troy has also been experimenting in the medium of digital art and has produced a wide range of images. Some whisper with shades of subtle coloring while others call out with a playful vibrancy. 

CLICK on EXHIBITION PAGE BELOW for IMAGES FROM PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS: Images from "Visions by the Water," "Rosegill Barn" color photograph by Cloyde Wiley of Lynchburg, VA. and "Into the Mist" by Susan Singer, oil on canvas as well as images from NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 Exhibitions: "16 Moves for a Beach Ready Body" by Michigan artist Wade Eldean, "F.I.N.E. : Fiber in Nearly Everything" by D.C. area artists Ann Liddle, Julie Booth, Anne Buchal, Ann Citron, Maria Simonsson and The Naked Artist, Dodie Ortland are on the Ehibition page.  Dodie Ortland currently has work on display in the gallery at Visual Art Studio, 208 W. Broad St. Richmond, VA.  Gallery Hours:  Tues. - Fri. Noon-6PM, Sat. Noon-4PM. After Hours by Appointment.

MEET SOME OF VISUAL ART STUDIO ARTISTS FIRST FRIDAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. VISUAL ART STUDIO IS OPEN THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH.

Please call Visual Art Studio at (804) 644-1368 with your inquiries.

Click on EXHIBITION and ARTWORK pages below.