Jerry’s Artarama Materials Presentation
Members and guests love this opportunity to learn about new art products, see demonstrations, get free samples and a coupon from the best art store in Knoxville, TN. Go to yourartsupplies.com to learn about their store and art classes.
Jerry’s Artarama is Knoxville’s premiere fine art supply store, carrying a wide selection of professional art supplies, materials, fine artist brands and framing.
Website: yourartsupplies.com
Embracing Your Artistic Style
Marisa will be presenting to the guild about embracing your artistic style and why it is important for all types of artists, whether pursuing a professional career or creating work for fun and personal enjoyment. She will be providing examples of similar subject matter and how each artist is different in their approach. She will also be talking about the difference between artistry and technicality.
Artist Bio:
Marisa Ray intentionally paints impossible, but joyous subject matter that connects the viewer to something often lost inside oneself, childlike wonder. She uses her art as a vessel to bring hope and laughter to others, through whimsical ideals and story lines. Marisa is an independent artist, often traveling the U.S. and showcasing her paintings in fine art shows.
Artist’s Website: www.marisarayart.com
Nishita’s Watercolor Paintings
Nishita will share her journey as an artist with photos of her work along with a selection of her paintings.
Artist Bio:
Nishita Jain is a Maryland-based watercolor artist whose work captures the quiet poetry of nature through luminous washes and layered atmospheres. Trained in design and marketing before fully embracing painting, she brings a keen sense of color, composition, and clarity to her art. Her landscapes and tonal studies often explore fleeting light, seasonal rhythms, and the balance between spontaneity and control.
Jain has exhibited nationally and internationally, earning recognition from the American Impressionist Society, the American Society of Marine Artists, and Splash: Best of Watercolor. Her paintings have been juried into prestigious exhibitions including the National Watercolor Society and the Watercolor Art Society–Houston.
She is a member-artist at Artists’ Gallery in Ellicott City (AG EC), a cooperative gallery owned and operated by local artists and also serves as Gallery Manager for the Bernice Kish Gallery at Slayton House, where she curates exhibitions and fosters community engagement. Alongside her studio practice, she teaches watercolor and drawing, encouraging students to experiment fearlessly and develop their own voice.
Artist’s Website: https://www.nishita.art
How To Become An Abstract Artist – The depth of layers
This presentation is my personal journey on how I became an abstract artist. I will introduce my favorite practices and tools as I describe my techniques that lead me to emerse myself in abstract art. I went from designing interiors in commercial spaces where every measurement was exact to being free to express myself without having to stay in between the lines. A blank canvas doesn’t frighten me, it’s an invitation to provide a voice.
Artist Bio:
As long as I can remember designing, creating and loving all forms of art was encouraged by my family. My mother was instrumental in enticing me to not shy away from trying something new, whether it was pottery, sewing, macramé, drawing or painting, it was natural to create throughout my childhood. This sense of creating led me to pursue a career in interior design. Practicing commercial interior design for over 25 years proved inspirational, it heightened my sense of color, shapes and balance: each playing a significant role in spaces I created.
As exciting as the world of design was, it didn’t satisfy my need for self-expression. Luckly, due to my mother, she once again encouraged me to take an abstract painting workshop 20 years ago. It was then I was able to fill that void of self-expression from interior design through abstract compositions.
Abstract painting became a conduit to share my feelings, emotions and senses while creating…then seeing those gestural expressions blend with the depth of colors come alive on canvas even sometimes surprises me. I never tire of wondering what might come next and trying something new.
Artist’s Website: Www.kimsandersoncreative.com
Wildlife Photography – Artistic Photography of Wildlife from around the World
Jan Muir has been creating intimate portraits of wildlife in remote locations. She will share her art, favorite locations, adventure stories, and some simple tips to bring your own photographic vision to life.
Artist Bio: On the Edge of Wild
From the glitter of Las Vegas to the whispers of the Smoky Mountains, my art travels between urban pulse and serene wild song. My experiences touch each artwork and become a testament to the cultural vibrancy and untamed beauty that inspire me. From remote glaciers to bustling foreign festivals, each experience adds a vibrant thread to my artistic tapestry. Through my art, I strive to connect each of us to the majesty of nature and the diversity of culture, to ignite a passion for preserving our planet’s uniqueness and wonder.
Nature is my constant muse. It whispers to me, and I translate its voice into visual stories using photos, glass, ceramics, and paint. Each medium, in different ways, allows me to express the awe, the fragility, the resilience of our planet.
My artwork is always evolving and experimentation is my companion. Molten glass is coaxed into swirling orbs and becomes a frozen echo of sunlit waves crashing on distant shores. Clay, my ancient teacher, whispers stories of mountain ranges weathered by the winds of time, each crack and crevice a testament to resilience and beauty. Pigments, vibrant emissaries from faraway bazaars, remind me of the uniqueness and fragility of our shared humanity. Through these diverse mediums, I strive not only to capture the awe-inspiring grandeur of nature but also to ignite a sense of compassion, a call to protect the wild spaces that sustain us all. Each piece invites you to walk with me, to step beyond the familiar and embrace the exquisite dance of wonder that unfolds around us each and every day.
I invite you to step closer to both listen to the whispers of nature, and to see the vibrant cultural threads that weave us all together. Welcome to my journey. Please walk with me.
Website: Muir Studios
Scratchboard “Wolf” Step-By-Step
Art guild member Judy Lavoie will present the unique art medium of scratchboarding. While showing the process from start-to-finish, Judy will share basic techniques, simple tools, and oodles of tips she has learned during her years of creating scratchboard art.
Judy will teach how create a Wolf on scratchboard and share examples of her own work. Learn about the unusual characteristics of this medium and how you can use it for your own artwork. Don’t miss a chance to win one of ten scratchboard kits from Judy too! See Judy’s art at https://judylavoieart.com.
Artist Bio:
Judy Lavoie has been creating art for as long as she can remember. As a watercolor painter since 1980, she has earned signature member status in several watercolor societies, received numerous top awards for her art, been featured in “Splash” and other art magazines, and has had her artwork juried into countless shows. Several years ago, Judy’s scratchboard artwork earned her membership into the International Society of Scratchboard Artists, and she has won major awards for her scratchboards in their prestigious exhibitions. Judy is also an Ampersand Ambassador, representing the Texas company which manufactures her favorite scratchboard panels and accessories. She is a natural teacher and enjoys sharing her art knowledge, experience and passion for art to help inspire others.
The Art of Inquiry – How Asking a More Beautiful Question Becomes More Beautiful Art
Through my work, I invite viewers to reflect on their own stories. Each canvas serves as a mirror, reflecting the wonder of our connection with God and with one another. In a culture that often shares mostly its curated “perfection”, my art, with its history of marks called palimpsest, can often shift the atmosphere of a space, just by being there. I did not begin my art practice until nearly 50 years old, so I am a passionate advocate for what I call a “middle kindling” – it is never too late to make physical things in the physical world for the good of our neighbors.
In this talk, Sheila Atchley explores the often-overlooked power of asking meaningful questions in the creative process. Drawing from personal experiences and her own art, Sheila demonstrates how inquiry can overcome creative blocks, and infuse your work (on canvas or in private art journals) with authenticity. Attendees will hear how to incorporate reflective questioning into their routines and discover how this transformative practice can elevate their art. Whether you are a seasoned artist, or just beginning, this presentation will leave you with fresh perspectives and actionable insight into your own creative practice.
Artist Bio: FOR SHEILA ATCHLEY, it all begins with an idea.
And then, she has to make. If the making involves anything from a large, commissioned canvas, to a page in her art journal, she picks up the paintbrush. If the making involves writing a blog post or book proposal, a caption or a class, she picks up the pen.
Regardless of the medium – words or art – it is important to Sheila to leave a legacy.
Through her work, she invites readers and viewers to reflect on their own stories. Each canvas serves as a mirror, reflecting the wonder of our connection with God and with one another. In a culture that often shares mostly its curated “perfection”, Sheila’s art, with its history of marks called palimpsest, can shift the atmosphere of a space, just by being there.
This artist will remind you that your vulnerabilities are what make you interesting.
She hopes that her work evokes a sense of peace and connection. In a world full of unattainable yet same/same/same ideals, Sheila’s art seeks to remind us that true beauty is practiced, rather than acquired or obtained
Join her on her late-midlife artistic path and celebrate the beauty of this life. Sheila anticipates your discovery of something of your own identity in her work, believing that “her vibe attracts her tribe.” Art resonates. Beauty calls, and beauty answers. Sheila often says “you are an unrepeatable, eternal, living spirit, temporarily lodging inside a human body and your experiences are worth celebrating.” If her pen or her paintbrush inspires you, she hopes you’ll explore further.
Website: www.sheilaatchley.art
Jerry’s Artarama Materials Presentation
Members and guests love this opportunity to learn about new art products, see demonstrations, get free samples and a coupon from the best art store in Knoxville, TN. Go to yourartsupplies.com to learn about their store and art classes.
Jerry’s Artarama is Knoxville’s premiere fine art supply store, carrying a wide selection of professional art supplies, materials, fine artist brands and framing.
Website: yourartsupplies.com
Join us as Lois shows some of her work and explains how the Art Guild and its members gave her the confidence to continue this artistic journey. She will also share how art has helped her heal and how it can help you heal.
Artist Statement: My 3D art pieces materialized organically without formal training, allowing my emotions to guide the creative process. Each artwork springs to life through numerous attempts and manipulations, capturing the essence of my journey. I only started doing 3D art pieces at the beginning of 2023. All my work, awards, and pieces for sale have all been created within this short time frame.
Website: http://loistraderart.com
Join us to hear an Carl give us an overview of how (and why) he makes big sparkly mixed media mandalas! A mandala is typically composed of circles with repeating symmetrical shapes. They often symbolize balance, harmony, or unity and represent that everything in the universe is connected.
Carl Gombert was born in Brimfield, Ohio in 1959. He started taking painting lessons at the age of 14 with money he earned delivering newspapers. He completed a BFA in Drawing from the University of Akron and an MFA in Painting from Kent State University. He worked as a stagehand before earning a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts at Texas Tech University. He has exhibited in more than 350 exhibitions across the US and abroad and his work is in numerous museum and university collections. Since 1993 he has taught painting, drawing, and art history at Maryville College in Tennessee.
Website: gombertart.com/
