MEET THE ARTISTS

---

Tim and his wife, Debbie, built a house in the Fancy Gap area in 1992. Debbie relocated from Michigan at that time while Tim stayed in Michigan, working for Chrysler. After retiring in 2001, Tim became a full-time resident as well.

Tim built kitchen cabinets for G & G Construction for ten years and has always loved woodworking. He made his first bandsaw box in 2008 and he has made around 700 since the first one. Each box has the wood that was used on the bottom.

Tucked away near the Blue Ridge Parkway, you can step into the upcountry studio of Fancy Gap, Virginia, artist D'Linn and you've entered the world of her very own personal expression.

Extensive formal training in the Bauhaus tradition and unbounded experimentation transform her artwork into something meaningful that belongs to life itself. Unique sunlight plays across her canvasses and captures the essence of her museum quality images. "Color creates a specific vibration and is an elemental aspect of my work", she tells us. With originals, limited editions, and collages available, you'll find something in every price range. 

A joyful spirit who speaks from her heart and paints from her soul, D'Linn invites you to view her work by making an appointment and visiting her studio. Leave your message at 276-728-2827 or email:  dlinnart@gmail.com and you will get a return message asap.

Debbie Culler is an artist residing in Ararat, Virginia. She is a native of Patrick County, Virginia. Acrylics are her favorite and the primary medium in which she creates. 

At about age 11, Debbie recalls being bored with watching television. She began picking up her crayons (her first medium) and studying the model's faces in magazines. Today, most of her artwork reflects her love for God's handiwork in nature; He has such incredible colors in His palette!

In addition to her canvas paintings, Debbie has created two book covers and completed a church mural. She has won numerous awards for her art including the "Best in Show" at the 2010 Reynolds Homestead in Critz, Virginia.

Debbie has a passion for budding young artists and implores you, if you have such a young artist on your hands, to please encourage them all you can! She stresses, "I would not have come this far without the love and encouragement of my mom, Nerina Culler!"

Linda Erskine has always hesitated to call herself an artist. She loves to take photos with no special equipment. But there are things she is passionate about--nature, historic buildings, antique cars, and most especially the Blue Ridge Mountains where she now calls home. 

She is widowed, retired, and looking for inspiration; and she finds it here in the hills. She has lived in New Jersey and Virginia and traveled through 44 of our United States seeing God's handiwork everywhere. 

She hopes you enjoy L'art de' Collines, The Art of the Hills! 

Janet Evans lives in Fancy Gap, Virginia. Quilting, painting, and reading keep her busy. She has traveled to fifty states, Canada, Mexico, England, Wales, France, the Caribbean Isles, and Belgium. She has worked as a teacher, union organizer, and NEA organizer, but her best job of all is as MOM.

Janet's art includes many of the sites she has seen in her travels. 

John Falls started painting in his youth and enjoys landscapes and wildlife. His preferred medium is oil. He attended the Colorado Institute of Art and had a 25-year career as a graphic designer and art director. 

Having recently relocated to Virginia, John and his wife, Marilyn, have immersed themselves in nature. They cannot believe how lucky they are to be in such a beautiful place with such nice people. 

Since relocating to Virginia, John has expanded his art into acrylic abstracts. 

Marilyn Falls has found painting to be pure joy. She relocated to Virginia with her husband, John, and their 2 puppies. She is near her grandparent's graves who are buried near Fancy Gap.

She hopes you enjoy her artwork as much as she enjoys sharing it. 

Donna Godwin was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and raised in Upstate New York. Donna moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, Cort, in 1998.

Donna is a lifelong self-taught artist and started drawing at a young age. As a child, she had a series of major ear surgeries that led to hearing loss in both ears. This loss led her down a creative path, and her art became a tool that helped her survive, as well as to find her creative voice to encourage others to create!

Over the years, she has taught herself many mediums ranging from painting to watercolor, drawing, mixed media, linocut, and gel printing. She has learned how to put each medium to use in her work. Donna leans toward imperfection because there is a certain grace in it, and she also wants her viewers to feel like they can do it too because everyone is creative and they just have to find the right teacher to help find their spark!

Over the years, Donna has taught and mentored children, adults, adults with brain injuries, veterans, and people with special needs. She has led a variety of workshops and has spoken about the necessity of creativity and how it helps us survive, grow, and live. It is vital to our health and well-being. We must do it! She is passionate about what she does. 

Since mid 2022, Donna, who is a creative visual processor, has been taking time to herself to grieve and process the sudden loss of her parents through her creativity. The work you see today is a culmination of several years of creative work. 

Donn has two beautiful daughters, both of whom are creative in their own way! She has been married to her husband, Cort, for 38 years. They reside in Carroll County, Virginia, with their dog, Twila Joy.

My journey in art began approximately ten years ago when I started painting pumpkins as Halloween decorations. I displayed them on the stone wall at the end of my driveway on North Main Street in Mount Airy, which generated significant community interest.  Parents frequently stopped to take photos of their children with the pumpkins and inquired about my other work, which inspired me to pursue my lifelong desire to become an artist. 

At the time, I was working full-time as a banker, which limited my availability to teach myself to paint. Additionally, the initial cost of acquiring the necessary supplies presented a challenge.  In 2017, ahead of my retirement, I began gradually collecting materials. As a retirement gift, my colleagues presented me with my first large easel.

Since then, I have developed my skills through online training and experimentation with various techniques. I primarily work with acrylics and oils, and I have converted my Florida room into a dedicated home art studio. While I began by painting on canvas, I have since expanded my portfolio to include painted galvanized watering cans and terra cotta pots. 

In addition to creating art, I have taught several art classes for both adults and children, including special sessions with my grandchildren. My work has been featured in several art gallery exhibitions and is currently available for purchase at multiple retail locations. 

Chloe is a young mom who was born in Forsyth, Winston-Salem, North Carolina and was raised in the Crooked Oak and Hillsville side of Carroll County, Virginia. Chloe is a self-taught artist from as young as 3 years old. 

Chloe says, "My dad was my hero, and man, could he draw!" Bob Ross said "And there's no secret to this. Anybody can paint. All you need is a dream in your heart and a little practice." So practice is what Chloe did.  

In Elementary school, Chloe's dad worked in town where she would spend all of her free time practicing line work and drawing, selling them for a quarter. So many people spoke to her during these years and encouraged her to never give up her talent.

 Chloe states, "To me, art is a language of the soul, a way of life. It exists in everything and even exists in nothing. It teaches valuable lessons and truths like perseverance, perspective, problem solving, and creativity." 

Chloe's favorite thing about her artwork is sharing it with others. 

Brenda Jones is a lifelong resident of Hillsville, Virginia. She lives with her husband, Rick, and their granddaughter, Haley. Along with her love for art, she and her family are huge dog lovers.

Art is Brenda's passion, and each new project fuels her creative drive. The stunning and earthy charm of the local landscape of Carroll County inspires her to paint. She is an acrylic artist and also enjoys sketching. 

Each month, she shares her zest for creativity with others through painting classes at The Gallery. For those who don't think they can paint, a quote by Vincent Willem van Gogh sums it up pretty well: "If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint', then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced." 

Whether it is with paint and brush, or by taking the time to see the art that lives all around us, it is never too late to begin your art journey.

Amy LaChance is a native of New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from Rutgers University before moving to the coast of North Carolina. She now lives with her husband, John, and their pup Greta, in Fancy Gap, Virginia. 

Despite her love for the Blue Ridge Mountains, the sea still flows through her veins and influences her work. 

Amy enjoys nearly all crafts, from quilting to baking to refinishing furniture.

Justin Lintecum, based in Hillsville, Virginia, began photographing the night sky in 2018 after purchasing his first DSLR. This led him to capture landscapes and birds, earning accolades including a 2020 Virginia State Parks Grand Prize and Best in Show awards at both the Grayson and Carroll County Fairs.

Paula McKeag lives in Fancy Gap, Virginia, but has roamed the back roads of many of our states for years, with camera and beloved labs in tow. Her work in photography tends to be eclectic for her subjects represent one of her favorite quotes, "There is beauty everywhere, you just need to slow down and look!"

Raised in a military family, she had the opportunity to live in various places in the world, but called Fayetteville/Fort Bragg, North Carolina home! Paula has raised three beautiful children and had a very successful career in business management.

Her love for nature and the simplicity of life will most likely keep her in the mountains with a camera in hand!

Celeste Springthorpe Tsaklis, a Fancy Gap resident, is an artist and creative thinker who loves experimenting with diverse art styles and repurposing materials. She is dedicated to continuous learning and visual exploration. She enjoys connecting with fellow creators here at The Gallery. 

Linda Vaught has been a lifelong crafter who fell in love with wood. She and her wood lathe turn wood pens in addition to many other interesting items. Some of her favorite woods to work with are walnut, cedar, cherry, ash, purple heart, holly, and Jerusalem olivewood. When she is not turning wood, Linda is one of many quilters at Sky View Baptist Church in Fancy Gap. She and her husband, plus two cats, live and work in Cana, Virginia.

Susan Woods has always had a passion for drawing since she was a small child. Her mother always drew in between her housework as well. Drawing was a God-given talent handed down from her mother. She was raised in the countryside on a farm, and after her chores, she would go back to the barnyard with a pencil and paper to draw all the critters she could see. She loved being around animals; it was peaceful, and being an only child, they were her companions. Susan wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up, but childhood dreams don't always become reality.

Susan's dad had several horses, and she especially enjoyed drawing them and learning everything about them. She showed and trained horses in 4H for years. In school, art was her favorite subject. Her teachers encouraged her to practice and learn how to paint and shade her artwork. There was an art schoolhouse at the county fair each year, and Susan's artwork was always among the chosen to be displayed. She won many blue ribbons.

After high school, Susan married and had children of her own. Her girls received the God-given gift as she had, and Susan would show them many tips she had learned. She was a stay-at-home mom and homeschooled her girls, so drawing was mostly put to the side for many years. When one of her girls went to college, she decided to go with her and took some Graphic Design computer classes. Susan eventually got a job at a local newspaper and designed ads. Susan is retired now and returned to her passion for drawing animals. With a few years of practice, she has been noticed and had others admiring her paintings on wine glasses, which she sells at local markets. Currently, Susan is drawing with mixed media, drawing the animals she loves and enjoys from when she was a child. Susan is pursuing her love of drawing to help her health, to overcome anxiety, and to just do what she loves. Draw!

Michael C. McCay was born in Newfoundland, Canada, in 1952. He studied photography at Old Dominion  University in Norfolk, Virginia, receiving a B. A. in Photography in 1983. 

Photographer for the publication The Grapevine, a U.S. Government publication about people who work on repairing and flying F-14 jet airplanes and EA6B aircraft. Photographs in every issue for 52 issues, two years.

Cover photo for The Grapevine of Model T Ford next to F-14 Tomcat taken on tarmac with 6mm fisheye Nikon lens.

Chief Medical Photographer for Eastern Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, 1986, 1987, and 1988. Photographic support for Research Grants, DNA, X, Y, Chromosomes, pre-op, inner-op, post-op, gross anatomy and surgeries for human and animal research. 

Took some of the first photographs of in vitro fertilization off CRT screen for research grants and publication. Howard and Georgina Jones of Reproductive Medicine.

Used the Presidential Palace's darkroom to process film and print B & W prints for publication in De La Estralla rPanama newspaper with Operation Smile.

Received Dios Mablos Humaitatian Award from Luis R. Villafuerte, Governor.

Provincial Capitol, Cadian, Pili, Camarines Sur, Philippines, 1988.

One-man photo exhibition at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Lewis Hall, Norfolk, Virginia in 1988.

"Tessier" black-and-white photo shoot in Norfolk Sentara Surgery suites. Photographed Dr. Tessier while he performed two Treacher Collins Syndrome patient surgeries that took over seventeen hours. Took over 200 images that day.

Moved to Fries, Virginia five years ago. Been here ever since. Stunning views of the New River from my new home. Can't get enough.