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The Crossroads Art Center has included information about artists in residence on this page. You may click on an image of the art work to enlarge it.

About the Artist
A Charlottesville native now residing in Richmond, Susan has been photographing still lives, architecture, nature and the human form for 20 years. An architect by training and avid traveler, with her black and white photography she looks closely at light and shadow to create carefully composed images that reveal the nuances of form, whether natural or constructed. An initial lure of formalist composition yields to the further examination of details.

A recent encounter with a herd of black and white cows has inspired her to work with color photography.

Visit her website at www.myspace.com/Susan_B_Reed

Tom Richardson spent most of his time outdoors. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout, which means that he spent a lot of time camping. Tom at the age of 15 went to Philmont, the Boy Scout camp in New Mexico.

Years later Tom Richardson graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in Earth Science. Due largely to all the time spent hiking and canoeing, Tom has always had a deep curiosity for understanding the natural sciences. Pictured here is a view from inside the “Natural Tunnel State Park”. Everybody talks about this geological feature. The suspense of understanding this formation compelled Tom to go to the State Park and buy a copy of Tony Scale’s book.

In the year 2002, Tom and his family moved to Southwest Virginia. More specifically, they moved to a small town in Smyth County named Saltville. The history of the Southwest area in Virginia is very long and detailed. Basically, the history of photography and Tom’s degree in Earth Science merged when he started his Photomax business. Somewhere between all of the caves in the area and the brilliant work of O. Winston Link, a person needs to let Tom stop talking about himself and let his pictures do all the talking.

Jennifer Risley, a Memphis native newly settled in Richmond, is a young, up-and-coming photographer specializing in black and white prints. Traveling extensively over the past few years, she has developed a varied portfolio ranging from sweeping landscapes and fine architectural details to street scenes that capture the unique urban personalities of cities such as Paris, Venice, San Francisco, Memphis, and New York. Jennifer usually prefers the simplicity and elegance of black and white, choosing to focus on unusual perspectives and interesting contrasts. Her images have been featured in promotional brochures and websites, alumni magazines, yearbooks, CD artwork, and even on bicycle jerseys. Jennifer’s photographs are on display throughout the Southeast, including at Crossroads Gallery in Richmond.

You may visit Jennifer Risley Fine Art Photography at www.jenniferrisley.smugmug.com.

My love for art began at an early age, but I grew up in an era when art was not a practical way to earn a living. Feeding the belly was more important than feeding the artistic spirit. My higher education at Ferrum College, University of Richmond, and Virginia Commonwealth University lacked formal art instruction.

It was after retirement that I began my second career as a landscape painter. Oil is my medium and I endeavor to put on canvas what I see in my travels. Traveling across the United States has given me the substance of my landscape interpretations. I feel a special bond with the people and places of our Western states. I have been blessed to see panoramic vistas, breath-taking skies and mountains, as well as meet many warm, friendly people. I paint landscapes from all the states I have visited.

Each journey has infused its beauty within my mind's eye. Capturing what I see and feel on cavas is my way of sharing my journey with you. Visit the artist's website at www.lourobbinsartist.com.

”MORE ALIVE THEN STILL ALIVE”

ARTIST STATEMENT

I came to the United States as an immigrant from the Netherlands in 1956. Europe was still recovering from World War II. Many families immigrated to the United States or Canada to get away from the bombed-out ruins, the lack of jobs, meager food supplies and of course the horrible memories of war. My family was fortunate to come to rural town in Virginia were life was filled with abundance. Everything was so new and exciting. Life was simple but very good.

I was ten years old and my art career was already four years old. Since art supplies were expensive and a car was a priority in America, I invented my own art materials. I used the pine needles that fell near the pond to do "earth drawings"Š. I used old newspapers and pieces of charcoal from the wood-burning stove to do “charcoal drawings.” There was never any question as to my dedication to becoming a painter. After all, I came from a country that is known as “the land of painters.”

My painting dialogue has always concentrated on color. Color is light and light represents and supports life. The subject matter in my paintings seems simple and humble at first glance. But are they really??? They are a spiritual memory of the past and of the future. Once it was a great treasured gift to take a whole apple to school for my lunch. My mother had told me countless stories of how she ate tulip bulbs to keep her alive during the war. Pieces of glass and pottery appear in my paintings.

Once I used to go with my father to the bombed-out ruins to find chards of old tiles, porcelain, pottery or glassware. I realized very early on that one¹s heritage and roots are deeply embedded in everyday functions. It is an intense journey to encounter the simple and to make it complex. I explore what I see and experience within myself. I embrace the visual process and walk on the edge of a different reality with courage and conviction that I will return from my journey a richer human being and perhaps a painter with something to say.

For more information and photots go to www.ezairgallery.com/Christaphora_Robeers.html

People always ask me, "Why Bananas?" My psychiatrist says it's a combination of a deprived childhood and eating too many bananas. As a child growing up in Richmond, Va., my mother worked in a banana warehouse. They didn't pay her much, but they let her bring home all the bananas she wanted. So we ate them...many different ways...many, many ways. Banana fritters, banana milkshakes, banana bread, fried bananas, baked bananas. Oh, she could do a cookbook. One of my favorites is grilled bananas on a hot dog bun. If you put enough ketchup and mustard on, you can't tell the difference. So, back to the photos. When I was taking photography classes in college we had an assignment to show four points of view. I thought I'd use food as a subject, so when I got home, well, what do you think? There you have it. I guess you could say I got a little carried away. This eventually led me to become the youngest and only photographer to exhibit in the Louvre in Paris, way back in the early eighties.

Nowadays, I guess you could say that I've ripened and mellowed (yellowed?) and spend as much time as possible goofing around with my wife and kids. My kids are now my favorite photo subject, but believe me, bananas are a lot more cooperative. Website: www.bananaphoto.com.

Over the years, I have lived up and down the East Coast, in California, and most recently, Washington, D.C., before settling in Richmond, VA.

I grew up in Michigan, between two lakes feeding into Lake Michigan, enchanted from the start with the ageless mystery, beauty and rhythm of nature. A penchant for road trips and an embedded love for all things native and wild, led me to oil painting, writing poetry, and now, photography.

Currently, my photos of birds, animals, and insects are from Richmond, Skyline Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Chincoteague, and Corolla, North Carolina. The Shapeshifter series are close-ups of rock formations in the Shenandoah Range and the bark of trees from various locations, which appear to me to reveal faces or figures in the patterns of stone and bark. The viewer may not necessarily see the same image I see, and that is the most fun of all.

I am a member of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) and the James River Writers, and am working on combining my photography and writing to see what ensues.

"Why I became an Artist"

I have always had a great love for art and the expression of art. On 1995, my 27 year-old son was murdered and I developed a fear of losing his image and the sound of his voice. I did not get to say goodbye and I wanted a portrait, not of his face, but of his soul, who he was. I began by attending John Tyler Community College, tried several mediums and fell in love with oils. I have worked non-stop with different art teachers and completed a number of workshops with an end goal of doing portraits. From this, and being a member of the Richmond Metropolitan Art Association, I have developed real friendships with many talented artists and enjoy our shared love for art.

I was raised on a farm in Ohio and loved animals so as I have walked through this art journey I have found a real love of painting all animals, especially ones from my youth, I want each animal to have its own personality and an attitude showing from the canvas, I sometimes think of a person then paint their attitude in the animal.

I have painted my son at different ages of his life, never losing sight of his final picture, and I have never forgotten the sound of his voice.

I have always found “painting with light” irresistible since the 1970s when I took my first photography class while attending college. My passion for creative photography plays on, but now my computer is my digital darkroom. Some of my photos are seriously manipulated to “Donnatize” them with my own interpretations, while others have received little or no fine-tuning. My favorite subjects include Richmond, Virginia landscapes, floral, the beach, still-life; and anything scripture-inspired.

Nancy Smith lives in Richmond, Virginia. She graduated from VCU’s Communication Arts department, and now works as an illustrator and portrait artist. She has also shown art in group and solo shows around town, and is an avid visual journaller. When not at the drawing board, she is playing music with her Turko-Balkan folk ensemble, Balkanize! www.balkanize.net.
To see more of her artwork, please visit www.nancysmithart.net.

Ruth Ann Smith lives in the mountains of Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, and has always been interested in art. She has explored many different media, including collage, photography, painting, printmaking, jewelry, and basketry. She has shown work in group and solo exhibitions in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.,br> Please contact her at: rasmithart@comcast.net.

So often it takes a life-threatening experience to show us who we really are. In 2002, I enrolled in painting classes to help myself face several serious illnesses and surgeries. Through my paintings, I seek to represent the struggle and conflict of pain, and at the same time, a sense of beauty and the will to live. Each of my portraits illustrates the beauty that resides within my subjects despite their physical imperfections, reminding us that true beauty is found in the eye of the soul. I share my experiences and fears openly on the canvas - from the battle of losing breasts to the creation of a surgically reconstructed life, from having the world in the palm of my hand to not having the strength to get out of bed.

Art has become the greatest therapy in my life and the strongest of my pain medicines. My dream is to share these images with others like myself and show them they are not suffering alone. When people come into my studio and whisper to me, “When I had breast cancer...” or “Can I give you a hug?” I know that my paintings have been successful. So many women face medical issues like mine but are afraid to talk about them. I was afraid too, but now I have stepped out and am telling my story through my paintings. I am determined to make this contribution while I am still physically able.

Recently, I was signing a print for a 6-year-old girl when she looked up at me and asked if I would teach her to paint. I later learned from her mother, that the young girl suffers from sickle cell anemia. It’s in moments like this that I know everything happens for a reason. If I had never been ill, I would have never slowed down to discover that I have the gift to paint. Finally, I have found my purpose in life.

Please visit her website at www.eyesofthesoulart.net

Starroot grew up in Southern Germany and started to create art at an early age, inspired by nature and her unlimited fantasy. She explored and practiced conscious dreaming in her early childhood. She is a completely self-taught artist. When she was 30 years old, she had a life changing Out of Body experience in a car accident. Starroot opened more and more for visions coming to her. In 1986 she moved with her two children to Tennessee and then to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Due to an illness in 1992 she started painting her healing visions, a series of over 50 large paintings in acrylic and ink on canvas and wood. Spirit Beings such as aliens, angels, ferries and totem animals appear in her visions of vibrating bright colors. She calls this series "Arcturian Dreams." Now she has created over 400 paintings, each one showing visions from dreams and contact with other dimensions. In 1999 she broke down with a serious back injury and severe pain. In a hospital bed she finished over 26 paintings, new Visions, that came for her healing. They are in her book "Amanita Dreams" together with Starroot’s visionary poetry.

Starroot has sold many paintings to collectors in Germany and the US and exhibited in San Francisco and New York and countless art festivals. In 1997 she was invited to exhibit 40 of her large paintings at the art department of Radford University in VA. She also was invited to teach students about her visionary approach to art. Starroot has been showing her art on the Internet since 1995. She continuously opens up for positive visions and gives them form in new paintings.

Starroot has been a musician and songwriter all her life. She studied music therapy for children with Gertrud Orff, the daughter of famous composer Carl Orff. She performed and recorded her music solo and with various bands in Germany and the US.. Her music ranges from world folk spirit songs to ambient alien trance music.

Figurative and abstract elements generally coexist in my paintings. Yet, the example here, Simultaneity, is pure abstraction. So, in visiting Crossroads to see my work you should find variety, beauty and intentional depth. I find the painting process to be a dynamic alchemy of chaos and order, which entwine to produce a stable image. I particularly relish and enjoy the intimate exchange of chaos and order with its sudden and unpredictable transformations­a tree in one instant splitting into two the next and then becoming a flute player! This process requires a flexible medium, which acrylics, pencil, pastels and charcoal amply provide. When an image finally appears, it often has a remarkably true voice.
Visit his website at www.richardstodart.com

My paintings consist of bold colors and a deep sense of emotion. I often paint with a limited palette, rather focusing on brushstrokes, texture and form to find a balance. I am drawn to the drama and the pain connecting us all in our humanity and strive to create beauty out of the most difficult circumstances.

I am not attempting to abstract the physical world; I am trying to get to the person behind the mask. Edvard Munch said: “Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye. It also includes the inner pictures of the soul.” I draw my subject matter from inside of myself hoping to create a constant conversation between the viewer and the painting, especially since abstracts do not seem to answer but ask.

My work combines my European past and my American present. My paintings are upbeat and symbolize the strength and positive attitude that are part of the American spirit and therefore part of my newfound life in the United States. My passion for bold colors comes from a group of artists called “The Blue Rider” of the 1920s, especially Franz Marc; other influences are American artists Mark Rothko and Wolf Kahn. My paintings are included in private collections in the United States and Europe. I am represented by Alex Gallery in Washington D.C., as well as by 1212 Gallery, Judy Newcomb Gallery and I am a member of Artspace Gallery, all in Richmond, VA.

Visit the artist website at www.abstrackart.com

"My Artwork expresses my desire to take everyday subject matter and elevate them to a new life, either through vivid color or dramatic contrast. In doing so, I hope that people will become more aware of their surroundings. As the world changes so too will my paintings, and the subjects I paint. Therefore I am only limited by the size of my paper or canvas and my imagination."


Susan's talent and skill emphasize rich color and vibrant imagination. She has been the recipient of many awards locally as well as nationally. She is a signature member of the Virginia Watercolor Society, Baltimore Watercolor Society and Southern Watercolor Society. Susan is also a member of Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club in New York City as well as President Elect of the Arts and Cultural Funding Consortium for Richmond and the surrounding counties.

Her work can be found in over 30 corporate collections as well as private collections in the United States and Europe.

Susan has been as art instructor for over 13 years. She has also been a workshop teacher for Art in Provence, Dieuleft, France. She currently teaches mixed media classes at Crossroads Art Center. Please visit her website at www.susanstuller.com.

ENCAUSTIC ABSTRACT PAINTINGS BY CONTEMPORARY ARTIST

RAY SUTTON

The organic nature of encaustic provides me with a material well-suited to meet my objectives. My work is constructed slowly, building up the surface in consecutive layers, applying the wax/paint with a brush and pallet knife. After the basic design is developed, the wax surface is re-heated and the top layers are peeled back, revealing undercoatings of color. This process of building and deconstruction continues until the finished piece is found.

Visit Ray Sutton's website at www.suttonart.com

Biography
Born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley, Anne Sylvest was imprinted early in life with the beauty of the mountains, the valley, the fields and the undulating river. These impressions and memories have greatly influenced her painting.

Moving to the Richmond area as a young adult, she continued to paint over the years with periods of time being shared in the interests of schooling, mothering four children, nursing education and practice and, with her husband, the establishing of a holistic health care center in 1988 where she served as administrator until March, 1990, at which time she left the position to return to her studio on a full-time basis.

There were times - sometimes years - due to circumstances, that the artist was unable to paint. But as painting is a mental and spiritual, as well as physical activity, visualization continued on those levels throughout any non-painting period so that when brushes and colors were again taken up it was as if she had never laid them down. The “affliction” seemed to be a progressive condition.

In the unfolding of her life, the experiences brought to the artist have been witnessed to and recorded in her work.

David Tanner is a portrait and figurative painter based in Richmond, Virginia. Since receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1991, Tanner has received portrait commissions throughout the Eastern United States. His focus on commercial illustration during his university training later transformed to a fine arts focus, specializing in oil portraiture and paintings of the human figure.

An experienced instructor, Tanner teaches drawing and painting at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Studio School and The Hand Workshop Art Center. Tanner is currently an Artist-in-Residence with the Virginia Museum’s Statewide Partnership Program, instructing portraiture workshops throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Tanner is an active member of The Portrait Society of America and The American Society for Classical Realism. Whether painting traditional oil portraits, still-lifes, or creating unique figure studies celebrating the beauty of the human form, Tanner upholds the fine traditions of realist painters both past and present. His work can be seen at Crossroads Art Center in Richmond, Virginia, or at his personal studio; to make an appointment to visit the studio, please call (804) 938-4457. An online portfolio can be viewed at www.tannerportraits.com.

Polly Taylor has always had a love and appreciation of art and an artist's ability to capture the world around us but she did not become an artist until recovering from an illness. Polly's favorite medium is Pastels and she loves to capture the beauty that surrounds her.

During the past year Polly has won a Best in Show and received an award in a national art contest. You can visit her at her website www.thesecretgardenartgallery.com.

My name is William Thomsen. I am a local, Richmond, metal sculpture artist. Being a native of Richmond and an avid sportsman, I have always had an appreciation of the outdoors. My goal is to bring part of the outdoors into my customer’s home or garden. My objective as an artist is to reproduce wildlife in its own habitat.

I offer a wide variety of sculptures and I am working on new ones all the time. If you have an idea for your own home, commissions are available.

Each sculpture is made from steel and designed to last a lifetime. Every piece is cut, shaped and welded by hand. A 4 foot stand is supplied with each statue. You simply hammer it into the ground where you want your statue to be. The statues themselves fit into the stands and they are all interchangeable. There is an optional indoor stand for indoor use as well.

Each sculpture is made by me one piece at a time. No two are exactly alike and all of them are signed and dated.

Visit Bill's website www.twinriversmetalart.com.

"I became interested in paper-cutting and cut paper as media in about 1980. I have studied the techniques and history of Polish, Swiss/German, and Oriental paper-cutting. I have also explored the art of cut paper by artists such as Matisse, Romare Bearden, and Eric Carle. Over the years it has become my passion and favorite media (for me) in the visual arts. I have learned from and honor traditions of other artists, but I have developed my own style and techniques. My greatest inspiration is nature. Animals, especially, stimulate some of my favorite subjects for my cut paper pictures."
                                                              Gene Mason Toutsi

Laura paints with vibrant color and bold brushstrokes. Her watercolor paintings are inspired by her love of traveling and the outdoors. You can see the rich fall colors in her Virginia landscapes, the beautiful turquoise colors of the Caribbean islands in her seascapes, as well as bold colors and brushstrokes in her florals and abstracts.

She lives in Richmond with her husband, Sam and her three young children and teaches at River Road Preschool.

“Art is my Passion. I paint every spare moment I can get!”

She is a member of the Virginia Watercolor Society.
Recipient of the Progress Printing Award – Lynchburg Art Festival 2006
Juried Art Shows - Richmond Art Workshops February 2007
Crossroads Art Center March 2007 / July 2007

strevey@verizon.net / 804-282-8844
Please visit my website to view my latest works !! www.lauratrevey.com

A friend introduced me to painting about six years ago and my goal is to continue taking classes and workshops so that I can complete works that not only will I enjoy painting, but which will also bring pleasure to others.

My paintings have been juried into many shows in Richmond and Petersburg, It has been displayed at Crossroads Art Center, Petersburg Regional Art Center, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, King George County Art Fair, where I won a ribbon; and various venues with the Tuckahoe Artists Association. My work is also on display at the Artifacts Gallery in Lynchburg. I am delighted to say many of my paintings are now hanging in private homes.

I began painting classes with Carol Campbell, then took classes with Ann Chaddock Bolton I am currently attending classes by Christaphora Robeers

I am a member of the Bon Air Artists Association and the Tuckahoe Arts Association (Recording Secretary 04-05).

I try to incorporate realism and cubism into my artworks; occasionally I do something out of my norm just to have a change, but not often. Normally, I just like painting or drawing what is visually appealing to me. Of course, I want others to like my artwork. Picasso influences the cubism in my work; I love the way he plays on the human figure with various distorted poses. Van Gogh played a roll in the way that I like to paint also, the way that he painted flowers, the human figure, or perhaps just everyday objects such as a chair with his thick paint to form a 3-D effect. With each painting I try to incorporate new techniques from other artist that I have researched.

Please visit the artist's website at www.evelyntrivitt.com

I’ve been painting for about 10 years. During much of that time, my approach was to paint representationally. In other words, I painted things the way I saw them although I avoided being too tight in my interpretation on the canvas.

I have to admit, until recently, I was never a fan of abstract paintings. I found it difficult to appreciate the talent or comprehend the hidden meaning the artist buried in the canvas. That all changed for me a couple of years ago.

It was actually a fortuitous accident that sent me down my path toward abstraction. I was painting a landscape and was not happy with the product of my work. So I started wielding my brush and vigorously slapping on paint to cover up my disappointment. And as I did, something interesting started to emerge. I continued down this new and once forbidden path and found myself delighted with the discovery.

As I experimented further with more and more paintings, I started to view abstracts in a whole new light. Eventually, I realized that an abstract painting doesn’t have to have some deeper esoteric meaning. In fact, my view is much simpler. It is all about the emotional response a work creates in the viewer.

To me, a particular painting works when you connect with it. Sometimes you can be drawn in by the depth or the colors, other times you can find the shapes or textures appealing. Whatever it is, the painting gives you a reason to stare for more than a fleeting moment. The connection is usually instantaneous. It happens or it doesn’t and it’s different for everyone.

So when asked what my paintings mean, I find myself stumped for a proper answer. They are not meant to mean anything. If they are successful, they grab you. It can be a bold yank or a gentle tug. They may evoke a smile or a pause. But if they work, they connect with you at some emotional level and give you whatever you need or are open to get from them.

As an artist, I enjoy getting lost in the process of creating; taking twists and turns that inevitably lead me down a path. I don’t take my strokes and marks on the canvas too seriously. If I did, I’d be afraid to push the painting to a new and often unexpected place.

While I usually have an idea or image in mind when I start a painting, I rarely end up with a work that matches my original vision. In most of my abstracts, I use a palette knife as my primary tool. I’ve found that using a palette knife, instead of a brush, is very liberating. Freed from a need to duplicate an image, it has allowed me to be bolder and less inhibited in my paintings.

Please visit the artist's website at willturnerart.artspan.com

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