Join local artists on Saturday, April 12, at the Peaks of Otter to celebrate the beginning of spring with an art show and Plein-Air painting demonstrations. Featured artists, Rachel Lawson, Susan Oller and Janet Wimmer host a new gallery of landscape and wildlife paintings in the lodge and demonstrate the art of Plein-Air painting from 11am to 3pm. Their artwork will be on display through the end of June.
Aspiring young artist, Rachel Lawson, is a studio art major at Liberty University, exploring interests and expanding her education in painting, art history, photography, drawing, sculpture and other arts related classes. Rachel enjoys participating in Plein-Air painting events, art festivals, and fundraising events. Her work is currently displayed in the Roanoke Valley at Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea on Starkey Road, Wildflour Restaurant, Blackberry Hollow Gifts, and the Peaks of Otter Lodge.
Prior to college, Rachel studied under the tutorage of professional artist, Janet Wimmer. During this time, she discovered both a natural talent and love for painting. The inspirations for her paintings include the splendor of God’s creation and many precious family memories.
Susan Oller lived in central Florida from 1949 to 2008. She and her husband now reside in southwestern Virginia. She paints in a representational style that has been honed through workshops and community colleges through the years. Susan first began exhibiting her artwork in art shows and galleries in 1979. Since then she has won numerous awards and her works are widely collected by corporate, business and private parties. Susan’s work is also sold through a publisher nationally.
It has been said that Susan’s paintings possess life, poetic beauty, tranquility and luminosity, all which equals a mood to keep the viewer captivated. Her love of life is demonstrated by this ability to bring life into her work. She attributes this to our Creator. He gives the talents for which she is very thankful. She paints from her heart things that inspire her. It is her hope to record some of God’s beauty for others to enjoy, be it a pastoral scene from our vanishing wetlands, mountains, shorelines, wildlife, flowers, gardens or perhaps an old home place. It is her hope that you will enjoy her work as much as she enjoys painting it.
Janet Wimmer is a native of Richmond, Virginia and received her B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Richmond. She later received a Masters in Liberal Studies from Hollins University. Retired from teaching art (K-college), she now paints and teaches from her home studio in Blue Ridge.
As a landscape oil painter, Janet is currently producing a series of Blue Ridge Parkway paintings. She has painted and posted online over 370 Parkway paintings. “My goal of becoming an accomplished landscape artist is coupled with a desire for seriousness in working at this profession every day and a deep love for the Parkway. After a year of daily painting on the Parkway, I am neither burned-out nor bored with the subject matter. My plan is to continue painting the Parkway until I feel that the series is finished, from milepost 0 to milepost 469 – which may be a life-long undertaking!”
For more information about the art exhibit, visit http://www.peaksofotter.com/Calendar.aspx or contact Carolyn Seaman at the Peaks of Otter, Email: [email protected], Tel. 540-586-1081
