Visual Artists

As someone who was exposed to art at an early age and then went on to pursue a Fine Arts degree, I strive to create a work of art out of everything I do. I want to show that art and design exists in everything and everywhere. I enjoy examining the details, various angles, the textures, light, patterns and how they can transform even the most mundane objects. I have worked in a wide variety of media and enjoy exploring them all from drawing, painting, sculpture, carving, photography and film.

I am passionate about creating images that are breathtaking and dynamic. I love being outdoors, exploring and going to extremes to capture those special moments that create amazing images. My passion and drive for perfection always keeps me looking for new ideas, techniques and locations in everything I do. From capturing nature’s beauty, creating conceptual art, casual portraits, special events to corporate work, my goal is to have my work really connect with people. Having founded Allure Art Center, I have enjoyed being able to work with so many fabulous artists and the collaborations that have come to fruition.

The sailboat "Atelier" is home, studio and sometimes gallery for David Aiken. His paintings are vivid impressions of the places and people he finds as he travels the water routes of the United States and the Bahamas. In the summer months, the boat is in the Chesapeake, allowing ample time for sketching and painting in Bay tributaries and waterside towns. Whether working in watercolor or acrylic, David uses direct strokes of color over color to bring a strong element of design to his art.
David was interviewed for a nationally syndicated television program focusing on boating related careers. He was invited to exhibit at the annual show presented by the Bahamas National Trust - only one of two non-Bahamian artsits to be included. He is also the coauthor of seven children's books, and he has illustrated a total of thirteen.

Maria Reardon paints the world around her. Working primarily in Pastels, she loves being outdoors, immersed in nature, observing and experiencing everything going on around her. She's drawn to the unique and ever-changing relationships of form and color. Her passion is plein air, working on location, using the vibrant and diverse colors of the pastel medium, in a painterly fashion, to represent the light and mood of a particular location. Maria is a Virginia native and received her formal education from Virginia Commonwealth University, earning a Bachelor’s of Fine Art in illustration. She has studied with nationally known artists for both landscape and portraiture. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and in private collections. She has received awards during plein air events and gallery shows and has had her work published in the Pastel Journal July/August 2017 issue.

"Oil painting has always fascinated me from an early age. The rich colors, the depth of a three-dimensional reality on a two-dimensional canvas, the thick impasto strokes over thin oil washes, the feel of buttery paint at the end of a brush, the rich smell of linseed oil and the exotic fragrances of aromatic varnishes–all add to a full, sensory experience for me as I work. I enjoy capturing the many moods of nature with a loosely-rendered realism, be it a peaceful, relaxing vista, or a fleeting, windswept moment. My goal is to paint what I see, feel and experience in a way that stops viewers in their tracks and inspires in them a deeper appreciation for the beauty and majesty of the wonderful creation around us."

Beth Marchant received her BA from Salem College and has been drawing and painting professionally for over 30 years. She is best known for her watercolor house portraits and her oil landscape paintings. Beth has had more than 1000 private commissions from all over the US. and her clients include The University of Richmond and the American Heart Association. She is the illustrator of the featured homes in the Guidebook of Historic Garden Week in Virginia.
Memberships include Oil Painters of America (OPA), Plein Air Painters of the SouthEast (PAP-SE) and Virginia Plein Air Painters. Her work has been accepted by the Eastern Regional Exhibitions of OPA and by the Virginia Watercolor Society.

John grew up in Sullivan County, New York, an area rich in woodlands, lakes, and the Delaware River; a nature’s schoolroom that helped teach him a love of the outdoors and a desire to capture its beauty and life in paintings. As a youth his ability to duplicate nature’s wonders was recognized early on. Influenced by that recognition, his educational pursuits culminated in graduation from New Paltz State College in New York, with an Honors B.F.A. degree in painting. Specializing in watercolors, his paintings have been successfully auctioned through Ducks Unlimited, the Ruffed Grouse Society, the Rocky Mountain Elk Society, and the North American Hunter Retriever Association. He had been a sponsor artist and companion artist in Virginia for many years for Ducks Unlimited. He has won the Virginia State Duck Stamp 3 times. His versatility is shown in paintings depicting landscapes, old farm buildings, hunting and fishing scenes, wildlife, and dog and horse portraits. He enjoys traveling around Virginia exploring new scenic locations for inspiration.

Patti works both from her studio in Virginia and also from the immense “studio” of the outdoors. It’s in nature that she is most at home, capturing color and fleeting light with her watercolor and oil brushes. Her work has been described as loose and color filled, yet having a sense of serenity. Patti is attracted to the places that feel far from the complexity of modern life: old mills and barns, lush gardens, marshland, shorelines and mountain vistas are favorite subjects. Patti is an active member of several art groups: Virginia Plein Air Painters and is a signature member of the Virginia Watercolor Society. Her work is exhibited in galleries, exhibitions and corporate collections. Patti’s formal education began with a BA in Fine Art from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and has continued her art education with nationally known professionals.

Marjorie Perrin paints traditional subject matter with a fresh eye. She captures the timeless beauty of a moment with her colors and textures. Painting from life, she uses the richness of oil paint to convey a mood and sense of place. Her style is influenced by Impressionism and Classical Realism. She shares her enthusiasm for creating art with her students at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts where she has taught studio art since the 1989. She is an active member in the Portrait Society of America, Oil Painters of America, the Virginia Plein Air Painters Association, the Maryland Society of Portrait Painters, and the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.

Larry is known across the East coast as an exceptional drift wood artist having won many Best of Show awards at Juried Fine Arts Festivals. Born and raised on the Chesapeake Bay, he grew up crabbing and fishing with local water men and have always felt a connection to the bay. Many people have marveled at his works the past several years at the annual Arts in the Middle Juried Fine Arts Festival in Urbanna, now this new partnership gives Larry’s artwork a permanent venue for his incredible works in this region of Virginia. He has been featured in magazine and has been commissioned to produce works for both public and private collectors.

Sharon creates fused and traditional stained glass art. Much of it inspired by the beautiful nature in the area where she lives. Her studio, Stillwaters Glass Studio, is based in Yorktown, Virginia. Her work ranges from functional and non-functional glass art inspired by the beauty of our region. She does all her glass work from start to finish with the exception of some of the coldworking of the glass. Her wonderful husband does most of that.

Anne Stine is best known for her encaustic mixed media paintings that reflect an intimate, human connection with the natural world. She adds a contemporary twist to landscape painting by combining oils with encaustic beeswax medium, then fuses each layer using heat onto a wood panel. Visually, her paintings are lively and instantly recognizable, capturing the aesthetics of serene environments through her brilliant use of color and texture. “I want people to see nature through the eyes of a child, full of awe and wonder, to help recapture the often forgotten connection to Mother Earth.” After a career in arts marketing, Anne followed her long-time passion for painting, and now her work hangs in public and private collections all over the world, including the permanent collection of the Museum of Encaustic Art in New Mexico.

"All of my landscapes are grounded in a real place and time; the creeks, rivers, bays, the lakes, and oceans. To these settings I add my experience as a life-long, dedicated artist and observer of nature to a multitude of available ingredients: top grade oils, cold wax, sand, gold leaf, marble dust, graphite, dry pigments. I always hope my paintings are just abstract enough to take the viewer deeper without losing the essence of Place. The process in creating my paintings consists of simple compositions but multiple layers of color to give the work depth. I usually include a horizon and large areas of color balanced with texture and loosely defined detail. I have had many people comment that they see something different each time they look at a painting. I love how abstract art engages viewers and encourages them to spend time looking at the work."

"Glass lives a life in flux between fluidity and form. My work explores these dichotomies and pushes to put glass at the brink of make or break moments. I make installations that confront this balance between order and chaos and attempt to give structure to this unstructured material. My process is experimental, momentary and outcome not always known.
I draw inspiration from texture, form and collaboration. In the traditional essence of glass, glass is smooth, but when combined in multiples or varied materials it becomes something more. One little disc, wrinkle or strand has a memory, and in my work, I exploit those memories and highlight the beauty in the imperfection and draw attention to the form. The act of sculpting and blowing glass is not spontaneous and is often planned down to a T. I thrive in the moments of uncertainty as I have collaborated with other glass artists, asking her to partake in the excursion. In many pieces it was a dialogue and our language was glass; As if we were playing chess we would each take a turn and respond to the last persons move by placing another. Its through this play that I was able to find release, freedom and therapy."

Joan Dreicer is an award winning fine artist painting in oils and pastels with a strong interest in landscapes and portraiture. Her life experiences bring compassion and emotion to her artwork. Over the past few years, she has studied with several internationally known artists, including Liz Haywood-Sullivan, Richard McKinley and Alain Picard. In addition, she has participated in solo and selected group exhibits throughout the United States. Her work is owned and displayed in many private collections..

"I am an oil painter and native of Virginia. After a career of teaching art to children K-12, I now paint plein air and in my home studio. My work is recognized by its vivid colors and graphic qualities. I graduated from VCU with a degree in painting/printmaking BFA, the University of MD with an art teaching degree, and then again from VCU with a Masters Degree in Interdisciplinary studies (mixed media/art/teaching)."

Allison’s work is infused with a love of the Virginia Tidewater and the Eastern Shore where sandy beaches of the Atlantic and Chesapeake Bay, the creeks, rivers, forests, marshes, and mudflats were the playground of her youth, and are now her peace and the restoration of her life today. “My art reflects my feeling that even when you are given challenges in life, there is always beauty and joy surrounding you in the colors of the sky, the reflections on the water, and the shadows cast at first and last light. My hope is to faithfully bring the awe of that moment to my paintings. If you have a challenge or something taken away, there is always a gift or talent to replace it.”

Art is a retired pastor and has been sculpting in wood for over thirty-five years. As a former Zoologist and photographer, God has opened his eyes to the beauty and uniqueness of each creation. Teaching people about this art is his passion. Memberships include the National Wood Carvers Association and Ducks Unlimited. Every piece of his art is special and reflects his understanding, privilege, and joy of creating.

Wearable One-of-a-Kind Lampwork Glass Pendants Created by Tom Heath are a unique statement piece. Tom has been a glass artisan for over 25 years. He has always been artistic and very fascinated with the art of glass blowing. His creations are made with clear and color borosilicate glass …no molds are used in making his glass pieces. He works out of his studio which was built at our home here in Virginia Beach. Living in a resort city is perfect for his ocean life pendants. These handmade glass pendants are for necklaces. Pendants are available in beach themed, holiday, and abstract glass.

Guy began drawing and painting at a very early age, and exhibited in his first art show at age 13. Growing up in the rural county of Gloucester, Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay, he found his passion in the natural wonders of the world around him. Hunting, fishing and crabbing were just a way of life for the young man who was a self-described "river rat". With an academic approach to his observations, he began to draw and paint the world to which he was so connected. An osprey with a fish in his talons. A blue heron taking flight. A Canvasback duck preening on the water. Today, his work still grounded in the influence of those early years, Guy prefers to work in oils and his subjects are best described as Landscapes, Wildlife and Sporting scenes. He is a seven-time winner of the Virginia Duck Stamp. He has won duck stamp competitions in 12 other states as well. Guy is a signature member of the Outdoor Painters Society and works mainly on commissions and large originals for private and corporate clients.

Jeanne is a silkscreen printmaker. "I love the process of silk screening. It is a very time consuming tedious process, but it suits me. I like the graphic solid look that screen printing creates. I always loved the look of the pop art in the 60’s and 70’s. While at St. Mary’s college in the 70’s I took various printmaking classes and really liked the process. Most of my images are of the Chesapeake Bay and its environs. It is hard not to be affected by the beauty I see all around me."
Jeanne is a 1977 graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a degree in Fine art. Upon graduation, she worked as a graphic artist and draftsman. In 1988 she decided to pursue a career as a full time artist.

My forms are simple and quiet so that I can use surfaces as a canvas for both stylized nods to nature and happy doodles. I love to make table lamps and to go through my paper collection to find just the right colorway and texture for each lampshade. Sometimes, I will find a paper I love and that paper will inform the piece. I am in awe of the beauty and singularity of plants and flowers and inspired by an array of images from botanical illustrations to garden photographs to Georgia O’Keefe macro paintings and the fantastical paintings of Henri Rousseau. I make no attempt to concoct a social statement or to stretch the boundaries of what we think of as art; art isn't required to search for the meaning of the cosmos. My work is intended purely for the amusement of the visual sense, not necessarily for the intellect. Beauty gives our souls a little refreshment so we can get on with the more mundane tasks of life.

Russell began his ceramic work at Mountain Empire College in Big Stone Gap, VA and earned his BFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. A potter for over 30 years, Russell has experience in all aspects of designing, creating and firing ceramic art. His Porcelain Pottery is inspired by the Fish, Fossils and Marine Flora of the Chesapeake Bay and has received numerous awards. From fine, sculptural art pieces to beautiful functional pieces and decor, his work is something to be admired and collected