Ryan  rediscovered watercolor in 2011 after a 12 absence from painting. Since then his work has been accepted in numerous national juried exhibitions and won awards in competitions such as: The American Watercolor Society Annual International Exhibition, Missouri Watercolor Society, Georgia Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition, Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolors, and many more.

Ryan's paintings have been featured in Splash 15, 16, 19 and 20 hardcover books (published by F&W Media).  Ryan's work has also been featured in both Watercolor Artist Magazine and Art of Watercolour Magazine.

Ryan is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society as well as many state and regional societies: Georgia (GWS), Illinois (IWS), Missouri (MOWS), North East Watercolor Society (NEWS) Pennsylvania (PWS), and the Watercolor Society of North Carolina (WSNC).

Ryan's work can bee seen on his website www.rfoxphoto.com and in person at several galleries across the state.  You can also find Ryan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/rfox9

Ryan's artist recommendation:  John Salminen

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Sara Roberts creates  vibrant works of art from collected items:  photographs, books, glass, shells, natural materials, and clay are incorporated into works of art. Each piece inspires a  bit of nostalgia as the viewer is drawn to familiar images or touches found objects that were once lost or discarded, only to become treasured again.

Sara's work can bee seen on her website sararobertsstudio.wixsite.com and in person at the Cary Gallery of Artists, in charming downtown Cary, NC as well as the Wake Forest Renaissance Centre in Wake Forest, NC.

Sara's artist recommendation:  Jane Filer

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Born and raised in Raleigh, NC, Dona is an artist and advocate for the inclusion of all people of all abilities in the arts. A ceramic artist, she loves sharing the art of local artists with the community. She is a graduate of UNC Greensboro with a Bachelors of Fine Arts and a Masters of Public Affairs.

Dona's work can bee seen on her website www.donamcneillart.com and in person at the Cary Gallery of Artists, in charming downtown Cary, NC.

Dona's artist recommendation: Lana Wilson, Ceramic Artist

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Ophelia Staton, a mixed media artist living in Creedmoor, NC.  Currently she focuses mainly on abstract acrylic painting.

Ophelia Staton, in her own words.
This freedom of creating is like no other I have ever experienced, and my gift is to inspire others.

I paint to express myself.  Each mark, scribble or stroke of my brush is a conversation between me, my materials and the substrate.  I show up and begin working with no preconceived notions or ideas of the end result.  I see the process of painting as a journey and I am intrigued by the unknown of where each mark or brush stroke will take me.

I absolutely love working in layers.  I invite the viewer to come closer and notice that there is more beneath the surface. My goal is to create a work of art that will engage the viewer and foster a dialogue, and that the viewer will be inspired to find his or her own connection with my work.

Ophelia on Social Media:
IG: @opheliastaton
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/Opheliasart1

Ophelia's recommended Artist:  Lisa Creed - https://www.lisacreedartist.com/

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Jane was born in North Carolina and received a BA in Visual Arts Applications from NC State and a K-12 Visual Arts Teacher Certification from East Carolina University in 2005. She has exhibited her art throughout The Triangle, including at 311 Gallery, VAE, and Durham Art Guild. Jane’s work can be viewed on her website and at her public studio, #217 at Artspace in Raleigh, NC. Jane was recently featured on CW22. You can learn more about her work on her website,  janecheek.com.

Check out these artists recommended by Jane.

   Janet Echelman - www.echelman.com

   Rachel Hayes - www.rachelbhayes.com

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Most of what Tom does is turned on a lathe at some point.  There are sometimes other tools involved, but the lathe is the key piece.  Every piece is handmade, so each piece is individual.

Tom believes that everything he makes should be useful.  Each bowl he makes should to be able to hold things.  Tom prides himself on crafting durable and functional pieces, that are also aesthetically pleasing to the eye and the hand.

 Tom's work can bee seen on her website www.havenhillstudios.com and in person at the Cary Gallery of Artists, in beautiful downtown Cary, NC.

Tom recommends folks check out "The Guy" when it comes to artistic woodturning, that being David Ellsworth, at  ellsworthstudios.com . Tom also recommends checking out all of the fabulous work being done by the country's finest woodturners at the American Association of Woodturners website, www.woodturner.org 

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Heather is  an abstract artist who creates paintings that are intended to heal people's spiritual and emotional wounds. Her spiritual gift is to intuit emotion and mood-based messages that come through communion with God. These messages often appear on the canvas as colors, symbols, and shapes. Each painting she creates is intended for a specific person, whether she gets to know them through the commission process or she creates a painting that will eventually find them serendipitously.

Over the course of her lifetime, Heather Eck has answered the calling to nurture and instills joy in those around her. As a clairsentient, one with the psychic gift and ability to intuit information through clear feeling, she is drawn to connect with people, helping them heal, feel joy, and to live in their truth, all of which brings much of the same to Heather since acknowledging her purpose-driven role of artist.

Learn more about Heather and here art at www.heathereck.com.

The artists Heather suggested we all check out:

    Julia Badow - www.juliabadow.com    IG: @juliabadow
   
    Marianne Nielsen - www.mariannehnielsen.com    IG: @marianne.h.nielsen.art

    Lisa Ridgers - www.lisaridgers.com   IG: @lisaridgers_artist

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Sally is a recently retired teacher, having taught foreign languages for 34 years.  She also taught Art the last 3 years. Sally came to art somewhat late in life. But, as she looked back, she realized creative endeavors have been part of her life since her teenage years. From designing and sewing her own clothes, to cross-stitch, quilting, and scrapbooking, Sally has been creating much of her life.  Sally works in several different media but is most fascinated by Scratchboard and Felting.  Scratchboard was a more recent discovery, and her amazement at what can be created on an inked board with tools and inks never ends.  Sally scratchboard work often features animals, because you can make them as life-like as you want, and you can play with the values of light and dark to create a very dramatic piece.

Sally's work can bee seen on her website www.havenhillstudios.com and in person at the Cary Gallery of Artists, in beautiful downtown Cary, NC.

Sally's recommend artists are:
The International Scratchboard Society
Ginger  Gehres
Linda Heath Clark
Lori Dunn

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Jaimon Caceres is an accomplished colored pencil artist based in Raleigh, NC.  He grew up on a small family farm in western North Carolina.  His artistic career began as a ballet dancer.  Following an unfortunate injury Jaimon hung up his dance shoes and returned to his first love, drawing.

Jaimon is  inspired by beauty, finding  it in a variety of subjects from ballet to historic cities and nature. Any subject can translate visually with colored pencils, and he loves challenging himself with each new series to push the boundaries of what is possible with this medium.

Currently he live in downtown Raleigh, NC, with his husband and two dogs. You can see his work in person at his studio in Artspace (studio 214).

Learn more about Jaimon Caceres on his website: jaimoncaceres.com and check out his recommended artist, Alice Sheridan at her website:  alicesheridan.com

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