×2024 Art Auction Artists
Meet the talented artists who will be showcasing their work at Loudoun Cares’ 6th Annual Art Auction on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
Diane Dennis
Diane Dennis has been studying art for the past ten years under the direction of Carmen Barros Howell, internationally acclaimed painter and sculptor, after a full and wonderful career as an educator in the Loudoun County Public Schools. Diane enjoys creating abstract acrylics and mixed media pieces including collages, handmade books, and creatures and masks of paper mache.
Her work has been exhibited throughout the local libraries, Tryst Gallery in Leesburg, Franklin Park Center for the Arts, Carmen B. Howell’s Studio in Purcellville, Maxx Studio in Baltimore, Artists’ Gallery in Ellicott City, and Hamilton Art Gallery in Baltimore where she is an active member. She currently teaches classes on creativity through the LCPL System. She is the owner and creator of Cherry Grove Art Studio and Gallery in Round Hill, VA. The new gallery opened in June of 2024. She looks forward to using this new space to showcase her work and the work of other local artists.
Maria Alejandra Brito
María Brito is a Latin-American contemporary artist. Her work has been described as “a representation of fantasy and nature, with the use of oneiric images, overlapped figures, and a background constructed by multi-colored brush strokes.” Vibrant colors, curved shapes are characteristic of her artwork. Painting, mixed-media, and upcycled art, are the ways she creates.
She has lived in multiple cities in Latin-America and in the US. As an immigrant she feels connected to the richness of different cultures, and to the color and vitality of Latin-American Art. Maria Brito moved to the US in 2001. Since 2012 she lives in Loudoun County, VA.
Her artwork has been exhibited in the DC-MD-VA area in: Franklin Park Arts Center, BlackRock Center for the Arts, Delaplaine Arts Center, Prince George’s Publick Playhouse, Annmarie Arts Center, Phillips Collection, McLean Project for the Arts, Nuestras Raices House, La Cosecha Marketplace, Loudoun County Government Center, Loudoun Visitor Center, Libraries, and Galleries.
She has been interviewed by Canvas Rebel Magazine, Loudoun County Magazine, Voice of America TV, Prince George Community TV, Mujer del Sur Magazine. She has references about her work in Art Memorial Covid 19 Project, Visit Loudoun Magazine, East City Art, and Falls Church News-Press.
Donn Dobkin
After many years of part-time photography, Dobkin became a full-time professional photographer just three years ago, and has extensive editorial, wildlife, and fine art work to his credit. He’s lived in Leesburg for two years after spending all his life in California, and he loves it here.
Artistically, his work reflects two specific themes. One is strong graphical elements. Often this means bold lines, colors, or objects. The second is a sense of intimacy with the subject, whether it’s a large space, a small object, or a living creature or person. His intention is to create an emotional connection between the subject and the viewer.
Katie Brown
Katie Brown is a passionate ceramic artist based in Ashburn, Virginia, where she crafts her pieces in a cozy home studio. With a deep appreciation for both aesthetics and utility, Katie’s work reflects her commitment to creating functional art that enhances everyday life. She crafts each piece to have a perfect blend of beauty and practicality. Each creation is a testament to her love for the medium.
Katie’s ceramics are more than just pieces; they’re designed to be a part of your daily life, adding a touch of beauty and functionality to any setting. Each item is made with care and a personal touch, bringing a bit of her studio’s warmth into your home.
Elizabeth Cho
Elizabeth’s work is abstract, defined by vibrant colors and fluid movement through photography and acrylic on canvas. Her pieces, ethereal in nature, aim to transport viewers to different states of consciousness, inviting them to immerse themselves and discover personal insights. She encourages audiences to stop looking and start truly seeing, allowing emotions, thoughts, and visions to arise naturally.
In 2012, after leaving a high-powered corporate role, Elizabeth sought healing through nature, which led to her rediscovering beauty in the world around her. This journey sparked her artistic career, beginning with photography and expanding into other mediums like acrylics. Her creative process, which she calls “thoughtlessly mindful,” involves becoming part of the image and letting hidden worlds emerge. Through mixed media, she captures the essence of both natural and supernatural realms, creating art that conveys mystery and meaning.
Ravi Raman
Ravi Raman likens his arrival in America at the age of five to television going from black and white to high-definition, forty-foot tall, 3-D IMAX. Inundated by American pop culture – television, movies, literature, fashion, art, and especially music – he consumed all of it with such a voracious appetite that its influences still permeate each of his paintings.
Raman characterizes his works generally as “contemporary art,” but the common strand in his eclectic works is his penchant for arresting colors, frequent nods to 1960s and 1970s nostalgia, as well as an ever-present edgy tinge of rock & roll ethos – with occasional detours like the painting presented for this function.
Raman draws inspiration for his paintings from disparate sources ranging from music to design to pop culture. Influences as expansive as Picasso and Warhol, Jagger and Richards, and Hemingway and Fitzgerald all collide on his canvas.
Raman’s work has been shown at solo and group exhibits at venues and galleries throughout Washington DC, New York City, Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts. His Love In Six Lines series has been featured as large-size, street-art murals in various neighborhoods in Washington, DC. His works also are in collectors’ homes throughout the country.
Raman was born in India and was raised and educated in New Jersey. He is based currently in Washington, DC.
Rosemary Gallick
Rosemary Gallick is a Professor of Art and Art History at Northern Virginia Community College where she has taught since 1996. She holds a B.A. from the State University of New York in Art and an M.F.A. from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York. In addition, Rosemary Gallick has a Master’s degree in Communication from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. She has published numerous articles and her artwork has exhibited throughout the United States. Rosemary was awarded the 2017 Featured Artist for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Community College Systems and in 2020!
Creating art since childhood has been an enduring passion. Ms. Gallick has created a series of abstracts, musical themes and portraits that focus on popular icons, ranging from rock and roll musicians, political figures, and other celebrities that dominate popular culture. Gallick’s work has featured in Elan magazine (May 2011) and in the Vienna “Take a Seat” bench project (July 2019) and in the Northern Virginia magazine (November 2009). Her paintings were selected for the covers of the Northern Virginia Review (Spring 2011 and 2015). In 2016, Gallick received the “People’s Choice” award for her painting called Explosion at the Village Gallery in Fairfax City, VA. Most recently she received an Honorable Mention at the US Geological Survey Center in Reston, Virginia. Gallick also received the Outstanding Faculty Award for College and Community Service at Northern Virginia Community College-Manassas campus in 2016. Her artwork was part of a juried exhibition at the Emerge Gallery in Saugerties, New York. Ms. Gallick was also selected as the Artist in Residency for August and September 2019 at the Haymarket Museum, Virginia. Her artwork is on view at the Sherwood Center in Fairfax City and in the Village Green Gallery in Vienna.
In addition to her full-time teaching, she is the Gallery Director at the Manassas campus of Northern Virginia Community College.
Rodger Schultz
Rodger Schultz (b. 1970, Wash., DC) is a Professional American Artist who paints to heal himself. He’s a non-traditional yet bonafide face-melter in the traditional sense. His philosophies are Spiritual, his movements are Scientific and his output is Artistic.
Derrick Whaley
Derrick, born and raised in Baltimore, discovered his passion for photography in high school, but it wasn’t until college that he began to take it more seriously. Enrolling in a digital photography class opened his eyes to the art form in new ways, and from that moment on, he never looked back. During this time, Derrick purchased his first camera and expanded his creative tools by using his iPod to capture images due to its ease and convenience.
With the advancement of technology, Derrick embraces the limitless possibilities it offers, allowing him to think outside the box and push the boundaries of his creativity.
Amy Walton
Amy Ramsey Walton is a fine artist and Interior Designer located in Hamilton, Virginia. With a passion for art and creation that began in her early childhood, Amy’s journey into the world of art, has been shaped by her deep love of nature and the breathtaking beauty of our earth. Growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania, she spent a great time with her animals and nature, walking and exploring the woods, with constant wonder and curiosity about this beautiful world that we live in. Art was a way to express that passion.
Rick Clement
Rick Clement is a painter and sculptor. He received his B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1989 and Master of Arts in Teaching Art Education from George Mason University in 2020. He also received an AA degree in Advertising Design from Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland in 1984. Rick worked as a graphics designer, manager and art director in the publishing and sign industries for over 25 years and is now teaching art.
Meklah Salimani
Mekhla Salimani, a long-term resident of NoVA, Loudoun County, embraces diversity in her art. Born and raised in India in a multicultural family, she identifies as a global citizen. Her art reflects the natural beauty of her surroundings and the rich tapestry of Indian culture.
Although not formally trained as an artist, Mekhla’s life and career have been shaped by art and design. With an educational background in architecture and product design, she now leads digital product delivery.
Mekhla’s artistic diversity spans various mediums, with watercolors and acrylics being her favorites. Watercolor’s inherent unpredictability captivates her, allowing boundless expression. Acrylics, empower to experiment with bold colors and textures. Her artistic explorations exude joy in nature.
The pandemic afforded Mekhla the opportunity to dedicate time to her passion for painting. She has channeled her artistic talents into charitable endeavors. From artfairs, boutique bookstores and restaurants, and art auctions, she dedicates proceeds to local charities. Mekhla conducts meditative art classes for not-for-profit organizations, students, and libraries. Her art has graced the walls of prominent local libraries, and a feature in Leesburg Lifestyle magazine’s January 2022 issue, titled ‘Gifted and Giving.’
Larr Kelly
Larry Kelly, based in Leesburg, VA, has been engaged in photography for over 30 years, transitioning from darkroom-based black-and-white photography to vibrant, full-color images. His creative process involves using Photoshop’s filters and adjustments to intuitively craft imaginative and beautiful works of art.
Larry’s artistic influences range from modern artists of the late 19th and 20th centuries, including Van Gogh, Kandinsky, O’Keeffe, Diebenkorn, and Thiebaud, as well as the Pop Art and Op Art movements of the 1960s and 70s. He has held several solo exhibitions in the DC metro area, particularly in Loudoun County, and has been juried into numerous group exhibits across the U.S. His work can be viewed at www.larrkelly.com.
Karina Mosser
Karina Mosser has been an artist and art teacher in Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia since the 1990s. She has developed her unique blending technique, which requires multiple layers of different shades. The interaction of colors adds brilliance to the painting. Karina specializes in acrylic and pastel. Her painting style is minimalistic, designing pieces to project feelings of hope, harmony, and serenity. Most of her paintings are landscapes and seascapes in a style that has been described as magic realism.
Octavia Frazier
Octavia was born in Germany into an American military family, which allowed her to travel and live in many parts of the world. Her time in Paris, France, profoundly impacted her life, sparking a deep love for creating art. At the age of 12, she won her first competition, setting the stage for a lifelong passion. Since then, Octavia has produced vivid and colorful still lifes, interiors, and collages, and her work has been exhibited and awarded throughout the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.
She studied art both in Paris and in the United States, including at the Corcoran School of the Arts. To stay current, she continues to take classes at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Virginia.
Alice Power
Alice has been painting in watercolor since 2000, finding inspiration in local historic sites and farms. Since 2015, she has shared her passion for art by teaching watercolor and drawing classes at local galleries and the Carver Senior Center. Her work has been featured in numerous galleries and art tours, including the Western Loudoun Artists Studio Tour, Purcellville Artisan Tour, Virginia Watercolor Society, Waterford Craft Fair & Homes Tour, and many more.
At 86 years old, Alice is committed to continuous learning and developing new skills in her painting. Her work is inspired by nature scenes, architecture, and her travels, and she is fascinated by the creative possibilities of water, paint, and paper. Through her watercolors, she strives to capture the vitality of her surroundings and tell a visual story—an artistic adventure she never tires of.
Maribe Chandler-Gardiner
Maribe Chandler-Gardiner is a native Virginian. Her formal art training began at William and Mary College where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. Maribe specialized in architecture rendering under direction of Eugene Kocher and portraiture painting under the direction of Thomas Thorn. Her first professional position was that of Director of the Arts Department Federal Reserve Bank, Richmond Virginia. She later went back to University and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago where she specialized in etching and mixed media. Maribe continued working on a variety of projects at the Art Institute and subsequently gained wide recognition as an accomplished artist. Maribe’s earlier works were frequently exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Having always had a passion for teaching, Maribe earned a teaching degree from National College, Evanston, Illinois and, upon graduation, became a member of the faculty at National.
Maribe has since returned to painting full time and is currently exploring the application of traditional media types to non- traditional subject matter. In many incidences this involves rearranging the real world into a fantasy world. Maribe’s compositions convey a unique expression of her personal visual experience. Classical drawing techniques as well as a strong etching and graphic design background have helped her with the development a multiple image motif on canvas and paper that is present in most of her work.
Summer Kerr
Summer Kerr uses oil paints to create original pieces of art inspired by the beautiful scenery across the Commonwealth. She has the privilege of collaborating with her father, a skilled carpenter who crafts the unique wooden elements that form the foundation of her artwork.
Summer now regularly participates in art shows and has temporary displays in businesses. Additionally, she paints live at events and holds pop-up shops in Northern Virginia. Summer holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Criminology, with minors in Psychology and Political Science. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in May 2020. Summer is currently an M.P.A. student at GMU.
