Regional Artists Spotlight Series – Round Five

Art often begins with curiosity, a closer look at the natural world, an appreciation for everyday beauty, or a willingness to experiment with new ideas and materials. In this installment of our Regional Artist Spotlight Series, the featured artists draw inspiration from coastlines, wildlife, memory, imagination, and the quiet moments that often go unnoticed.

Through watercolor, encaustic, graphite, photography, painting, mixed media, and sculpture, these artists demonstrate the remarkable breadth of creative expression found throughout our region. Together, their work reminds us that every artist brings a unique way of seeing the world, inviting us to slow down, look closer, and discover something unexpected.

Williamsburg artist A. Beth, also known as Beth Clark-McDonal, creates animal-themed art and pet portraits filled with color, pattern, and affection.

Working in watercolor and acrylic with metal leaf, artisan papers, and India ink, she builds bright, whimsical compositions that often place animals beneath golden crowns or halos.

Her work celebrates the beauty, spirit, and companionship of the creatures that share our world.

Annette Thompson works in encaustic wax, acrylic, oil, ink, and mixed media, allowing color and process to guide each composition.

Drawn to the fluid movement of molten wax, she creates atmospheric seascapes and layered mountain scenes inspired by her Colorado roots.

Heat, fire, and richly pigmented surfaces bring an element of transformation and discovery to her evolving practice.

Averelle Dylan works across photography, painting, and hand-built sculpture, drawing inspiration from the shifting forms of the natural world.

Her painting Tidal Shift begins with the reflection of a boat on water, using abstraction to move beyond literal observation.

By combining photographic source material with imagination, she explores the changing relationship between light, surface, and perception.

Brie Hayden creates hyperrealistic graphite drawings of antique bottles, working freehand with remarkable precision.

Every stained label, wrinkle, reflection, and imperfection in the glass becomes part of the subject’s history and character.

Rooted in close observation and patient technique, her work invites viewers to reconsider the beauty held in overlooked objects.

Edee Lyons works in watercolor and mixed media, creating Mayan-inspired pieces alongside imaginative images of people.

A self-taught artist shaped by years of study with respected teachers, she approaches each work with openness, play, and curiosity.

Her practice reflects an ongoing journey of creative self-discovery and a willingness to follow unexpected ideas.

Gina Warren Buzby is a coastal painter inspired by the familiar icons, colors, and atmosphere of life along the water.

Originally from South Carolina and now based in Norfolk’s East Beach community, she draws continual inspiration from the Chesapeake Bay.

Her work reflects a warm appreciation for the rhythms, imagery, and everyday pleasures of coastal living.

Hilda Jácome creates paintings that distill atmosphere and emotion into concentrated visual moments.

Her work Storm suggests the force of weather through movement, tension, and expressive handling of the painted surface.

By focusing on nature at its most dynamic, she invites viewers to experience both its energy and its mystery.

Jenny Ambrose works in watercolor and mixed media, creating images shaped by water, light, and movement.

Her seascape-inspired work captures the raw energy of waves meeting the rising sun while preserving the sea’s quieter, enduring rhythm.

Through fluid color and atmosphere, she reflects on the balance between strength and stillness in the natural world.

Lilyann Teifer creates paintings inspired by attentive observation of wildlife and the natural world.

Her image of a female Canada goose protecting her gosling captures a tender moment of instinct, care, and connection.

By focusing on intimate encounters in nature, she reveals the emotional resonance of familiar animals.

Lindsay Adams creates colored pencil and pastel drawings centered on simplicity and the familiar beauty of everyday life.

After returning to art in 2025, she began building a new practice rooted in the drawing she loved as a teenager.

Her work encourages viewers to step away from life’s noise, slow down, and notice what is already around them.

Michael Jones creates acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media work marked by bold color, whimsy, and a sense of uplift.

After returning to art in Hampton Roads, he found renewed inspiration in the expressive creativity of others and developed Magic Bear Art.

His mission is to make vibrant work that sparks joy, encourages imagination, and adds a little magic to everyday life.

Summer Kerr creates oil paintings on wood, often using animal- and state-shaped forms as the foundation for her landscapes.

Her work brings together natural imagery, a strong sense of place, and the physical character of each cut wooden surface.

By treating the support as part of the composition, she gives landscape painting a distinctive sculptural presence.

Suzanne B. creates mixed media drawings of original characters, animals, and figures inspired by video games and television.

Her work reflects a playful interest in storytelling, personality, and imaginative worlds.

Through both personal projects and commissions, she translates familiar characters and new ideas into expressive images.

William D’Alessandro creates digital photography focused on quiet, memorable encounters in the landscape.

His image of wild horses on Assateague Island in early spring captures the meeting of place, season, and animal life.

Through patient observation, he preserves fleeting moments that reveal the distinctive character of the natural world.