| ARTIST INSTRUCTORS |
Artist Biography:
Tiffany Whitfield
I received a B.F.A. in Ceramics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and now I’m currently
working on my M.F.A at the University of Georgia. I have spent the last few years teaching and showing my
work, but my interest for a career in art began at an early age. As a child I loved all arts and crafts. When I
was 13 I was introduced to clay and I immediately fell in love with the material. Unlike the majority of high
schools in America I was able to study ceramics, however, it was a very limited program. During my summers of
high school I would seek out community art centers to learn more about the techniques of clay. Now I enjoy
teaching others about this amazing material. The majority of my work is handbuilt sculpture that incorporates
my passion for vessels and the history of pottery.
Christina Sullo is a ceramic artist from the Atlanta, Georgia area. Christina studied sculpture under Greg
Johnson; pottery on the wheel with Vicki Paulett, Arlene Cohen, and Pam Kohler-Camp; and hand building with
B.J. Barrett and Joan Macaluso at Hudgens Center for the Arts. Firing techniques including raku were taught
by Mike Garnes at Hudgens and Christine Tholl at Red Wall Studio.
Christina taught art at Suwanee Elementary for grades K-5 in Gwinnett County, GA; also, children's and adult
clay classes at Blue Ridge Art Center in Seneca, SC.
In 2005-2006 as part owner of Sharp Studio in Walhalla, SC, Christina taught adult wheel, handbuilding and
sculpture classes as well as children’s classes.
Currently she works out of her Jefferson, GA studio and teaches adult classes at Georgia Piedmont Arts
Center in Winder, GA.
**********************************************************************************************
Terry Scopelliti received his first camera as a birthday gift in 1975 and began creating images with a passion.
He exhibited this early work and quickly won awards and acclaim. Attending The Art Institute of Atlanta he
earned an Associates Degree in Photography. Gaining experience in retail portrait studios and labs throughout
his high school and college years he move to New York after graduation. Working as an assistant to many top
fashion and still life photographers he gained the skills to become manager of 15 photographers in a
commercial catalog production Company. Returning to Atlanta in late 1988 he has continued his exploration of
the photographic medium, both commercial and fine art. Known for his finely crafted black and white images his
work has been featured in two solo exhibits, numerous group exhibits and featured in national advertising. His
work is proudly owner by many private collectors.
**********************************************************************************************
Brenda K. Mc Daniel:
“I do not handle watercolor in the traditional way, as most watercolorists do. Starting out painting with oils,
then acrylics, and in 1979, watercolor, I made the transition the only way I knew, so I tend to paint with
watercolors the way most artist paint with oils. I believe I was born an artist. As far back as I can remember I
have created my art on anything, even the bottom of tables as a child. My paintings are neither photo realism nor
impressionistic. They are somewhere in the middle. I tend to spend more time and energy on the main subject than
the rest of the painting. That is just my style.
**********************************************************************************************
Jo Cooper received her B.S. Degree in education and art from the University of West Georgia and engaged in
graduate studies at East Texas State University and the University of Georgia. She taught Science and Art in the
Gwinnett County School System. She also taught Art in the Carrollton Head Start Program and in children’s
art programs both in Texas and in Georgia. Her work has been shown at GPAC in Winder, Of W.G., Carroll
County annual Fair, and other locations. Awards of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place and Honorable Mention have been
earned. Her interest in art began as a child with chalk, crayons, and pencil drawing and progressed to
charcoal drawing and oil pastels in high school and college; then on to oils, acrylics, and watercolors. Most
recently she began hand building clay, primarily using under glaze firing for the brilliant colors and Raku
firing for the variation and excitement gas firing brings.
**********************************************************************************************
Bill Cooper received his B.B.A. Degree in marketing and management from the University of West Georgia. He is
the owner of William H, Cooper III, and Associates, Inc., a marketing firm. Having been in the business world full
time until recently, the extent of his “hand-work” has been home repairs, home improvements, and designing and
implementing small building projects. About 1&1/2 years ago, he became familiar with GPAC in Winder through
his wife, Jo, and began throwing clay. Since then, his work has been displayed at GPAC Gallery and at various
shows and festivals in the area. He enjoys high firing with traditional glazes as well as low firing with under
glazes. He recently constructed a Raku kiln and you can now find him firing outside his studio, Studio 23, in
Hoschton. Just follow the smoke.
**********************************************************************************************
For almost twenty years Rozelle Morton- Bush has been creating sensuous and colorful works of art from
glass. Her work has organic, flowing lines with lush, translucent colors. She also enjoys adding ribbons,
copper, blown glass and pottery to bring color, movement and life to her work.
Rozelle sees her work as a diary of her concerns, moods and experiences. As an artist, she feels a person has a
chance to change their life by acts of will: to share and give to others parts of themselves. She especially
enjoys the contact and communication with her clients.
The ability to maintain a high level of excellence gives her much pride, but the aesthetic experience and viewing
pleasure are the most satisfying. In her studio, she finds the ultimate freedom to design and explore the subtle,
sensuous, and sometimes disquieting areas of self.
The goal of Rozelle's work is to create art that speaks to the hearts of women. Much of her work addresses
the varied and changing conditions of women at different stages of their lives.
**********************************************************************************************
Rebecca McCartt has walked many career paths in her life. She has earned a B. S. in Studio Arts and minor in
Art History from Oneonta State University. She spent her senior year , at the Fashion Institute of Technology in
Manhattan to receive an A. A. S. in Fashion Buying, Merchandising and Display. To pay for her education, she
was a model for the Chelsea Model Agency, where she was exposed to professional photographers, visual
artists, sculptors and gallery dealers. Upon graduation, she was a manager in a department store, in her
hometown of Fairport, New York. After three months, she moved back to NYC to study and work as a
professional artist. She has studied; classical figure drawing, sculpture and perspective at the National
Academy of Art, painting ,figure drawing at the Art League, and printmaking and sculpture at SUNY Purchase.
Her encaustic paintings, mixed media collage and photography has been shown in several SOHO galleries.
Rebecca worked in retail management for eight years, than went back to college at Florida State University.
After she obtained a B. S. in Nursing, she found herself working as a registered nurse in the Winder emergency
room for four years.
When her daughter was born in 1999, Rebecca developed a rare form of dystonia (movement disorder), that
weakened her left arm and leg. As the door to a nursing career closed, she found the Georgia Piedmont Arts
Center door, was wide open.
It is here, where she has taught the Summer Kids Art Camps for five years. She has won numerous awards at the
juried at shows for her linocut/woodcut prints, mixed media paintings, photographs and gourds. She has
participated in many art festivals including the Sunflower Farm Fest in Rutledge,GA and the Celebration of the
Arts in Winder, GA.
“I believe all forms of the Arts teach children and adults self-expression, problem-solving, individualism,
tolerance for others and self- confidence.”-Rebecca McCartt.
“Spirit is an invisible force made visible in all life.”-Maya Angelou
**********************************************************************************************
Lisa Doster: Graduated from UGA with a degree in interior design and horticulture.
Began drawing on the walls at an early age when it was not so in vogue...walls do make the greatest canvas.
She taught ballet to three four and five year olds with the Athens School of Ballet and also taught Sunday
school at that time. Lisa works with acrylics mostly, but does love china painting. She studied under Pat Mercer
of Watkinsville, where she learned the art of painting on porcelain as well as pouring, firing and glazing the
porcelain pieces.
**********************************************************************************************
Andrew Eager
Growing up in the Eager house wasn’t typical, heck the house wasn’t even typical. My dad, Hoppy, built a passive
solar house in the middle of the North Georgia woods in 1980. Both of my parents taught high school at Lumpkin
County. Mary, my mom, taught math while my dad taught woodworking and drafting. At a very early age I
started working with my dad at the high school shop on the weekends and summers. Now that I am older I have
come to realize how much my dad taught me about woodworking. Every year in high school I took at least one of
my dad’s classes. I was able to build all kinds of stuff in the shop. Probably in 10th grade is when I got
introduced to the lathe for the first time. Between bigger flatwork projects, I would find my way over to the
lathe to turn pens, pencils, and bowls. After graduation from Lumpkin County High in 1996, I went to Erskine
College on a soccer scholarship.
While at Erskine College, I followed in my parents’ footsteps and majored in History and minored in secondary
education. After college, I began to do some small projects for my own use around the house. In 2004, I got my
first lathe. I have been hooked ever since. I started with Christmas and birthday gifts. After a year or so, I
decided to try some arts and crafts shows to expand into a small business. I did it mainly to pay for the next tool
or piece of wood. As my skills increased, I began to try new techniques that were more challenging.
I like turning because it gives me a chance to be creative. I enjoy using wood because of the natural aspect. Each
and every turn is different from the previous one. The endless styles, forms, and woods give a wood turner
plenty to keep them busy without becoming bored.
**********************************************************************************************
Jim Bell
Education:
The University Of Georgia
Masters Of Fine Arts, 1990, Georgia State University, Bachelor Of Fine Arts,1985
PROJECTS ( By no means a total list)
THE MAID AND THE JACK IN THE GREEN 2008
Veterans Memorial sculpture to Col. Ott
Osyka, Mississippi, 2007
THE SAINTS AT ST. MONICA
Catholic Church Of Saint Monica
Duluth, Georgia
1999-2004
**********************************************************************************************
Alice Stark is a self taught watercolor artist who began painting in her teens. She has taken classes from
several other artists to improve her technique over the years. Her work has won awards in Gwinnett and
Barrow counties and is known as far up the east coast as Boston. She also enjoys designing beaded jewelry
and other artsy things.
*********************************************************************************************
Charleen Romine is a full-time veterinary technician in clinical Radiology at the University of Georgia’s
Veterinary Teaching Hospital. There she helps teach the senior veterinary students how to x-ray dogs & cats,
horses & cows, birds & snakes, or what new patient comes through the door. Her artistic background was
originally in clay sculpture and woodworking. In 1991, she had the opportunity to learn stained glass and was
hooked, giving up clay. In 1998 with a desire to have more of a sculptural or 3-D effect in her flat panels,
Charleen took her first class in slumping and fusing. Since then, she has used these techniques to enhance her
flat work, and has incorporated found natural objects (i.e. driftwood, shells) in her work as well. Eager to
learn more about glass and all its possibilities, Charleen has also learned micro-mosaic techniques in fused
glass, lampworking borosilicate glass and beads, and glass blowing.
In January 2002, Charleen embarked on a new venue. Feeling the need to return to clay, but not give up glass,
she has found a unique way to work them together. Combined with driftwood which suggests a figure (usually
an animal) she uses Raku glaze fired clay, and glass- whether fused, slumped or lampworked- to complete the
figure. This new direction of combining her love for both clay and glass is not only exciting for the artist, it is
also personally rewarding. Future projects depend only on what waits to be discovered in the wood , or what
is inspired by the clay and glass.
**********************************************************************************************
SUSAN TILLMAN PELHAM
Painting Professionally since 1965, Susan’s work is represented in homes and businesses throughout the United
States, and she is currently collected in Sweden. Susan’s work has been featured in Southern Homes
Magazine, and Lake Oconee Magazine. She has won may prizes and received much recognition in the region. She
was commissioned to do a painting of the Jimmy Carter Tribute (sculpture on the Capitol grounds) which was
presented to President Carter and is now on display at the Carter Center in Atlanta.
Susan Earned her A.B. in Fine Art at Florida State University, a Major in painting and a minor in Art history,
studying with Karl Zerbe, and Fred Holschuh. She later studied at Southeby’s in London. Her portraits hang at
the National Forensic League in Ripon, Wisconsin, Appleby South headquarters in Madison, Georgia, and in many
public places in Monroe, Georgia. She currently lives in Monroe where she teaches and works in her studio.
**********************************************************************************************************************
About The Artist: Ellen Miles
As a young child I was always creative and inquisitive. My grandmother was the first to recognize and groom my
abilities. She taught me how to create patterns from newspaper for doll clothes and then how to hand sew.
Grandma’s house became my second home. Below her stairway was an enclosed alcove that I claimed as my
special hideaway. I spent hours hidden away, creating doll clothes and drawing images of animals and cartoon
characters from my Weekly Reader and grandma’s magazines. She would often remark to others that I was the
only grandchild she had, that could keep herself so well entertained. .
My love of art has continued over the years. Growing up on a farm provided me with many opportunities to
develop an appreciation of nature. I would ride our horses for hours through the countryside collecting wild
flowers, leaves, unusual rocks and creatures. Much of my art today is inspired by nature and organic forms
found in our environment. I hike through the woods observing colors, shapes, textures and light. I often
collect specimens to carry back to my studio for further examination and sometimes to use in creating a piece.
When I sit down to work on a project I sketch out ideas formed from my observations and imagination. I will
show different views and highlight embellishments and elements that might be included. I contemplate
construction challenges and sketch out potential approaches that I will try when I begin working with the
medium I have selected for that piece.
I have dabbled in many types of media but have found jewelry design most rewarding. My jewelry is created
from a variety of materials, including: precious metals, dichroic and fused glass, low fire clay and recycled
objects. I am always learning new techniques to add to my repertoire. I strongly believe in the practice of life-
long learning and continue to pursue my studies in the arts.
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Sheila Hibbert
I have loved art since I was very young. As a child, I can remember spending hours coloring, drawing, and
working on paint-by-number kits. In high school I chose art as an elective every year, and in my senior year, was
elected President of the art club.
In the mid-1990s I began experimenting with oils and have been working with them almost exclusively since then. I
have been studying under Barb Dickerson of Snellville, GA since 1998.
In order to “loosen up” my style a bit I began painting with palette knives. They allow me to add texture to my
paintings without sacrificing detail.
I have a love for birds, flowers, and nature, and they are generally the subject of my paintings. My work has
been displayed and sold in shows and retail establishments in the Lawrenceville, GA area.
Tiffany Whitfield
I received a B.F.A. in Ceramics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and now I’m currently
working on my M.F.A at the University of Georgia. I have spent the last few years teaching and showing my
work, but my interest for a career in art began at an early age. As a child I loved all arts and crafts. When I
was 13 I was introduced to clay and I immediately fell in love with the material. Unlike the majority of high
schools in America I was able to study ceramics, however, it was a very limited program. During my summers of
high school I would seek out community art centers to learn more about the techniques of clay. Now I enjoy
teaching others about this amazing material. The majority of my work is handbuilt sculpture that incorporates
my passion for vessels and the history of pottery.
Christina Sullo is a ceramic artist from the Atlanta, Georgia area. Christina studied sculpture under Greg
Johnson; pottery on the wheel with Vicki Paulett, Arlene Cohen, and Pam Kohler-Camp; and hand building with
B.J. Barrett and Joan Macaluso at Hudgens Center for the Arts. Firing techniques including raku were taught
by Mike Garnes at Hudgens and Christine Tholl at Red Wall Studio.
Christina taught art at Suwanee Elementary for grades K-5 in Gwinnett County, GA; also, children's and adult
clay classes at Blue Ridge Art Center in Seneca, SC.
In 2005-2006 as part owner of Sharp Studio in Walhalla, SC, Christina taught adult wheel, handbuilding and
sculpture classes as well as children’s classes.
Currently she works out of her Jefferson, GA studio and teaches adult classes at Georgia Piedmont Arts
Center in Winder, GA.
**********************************************************************************************
Terry Scopelliti received his first camera as a birthday gift in 1975 and began creating images with a passion.
He exhibited this early work and quickly won awards and acclaim. Attending The Art Institute of Atlanta he
earned an Associates Degree in Photography. Gaining experience in retail portrait studios and labs throughout
his high school and college years he move to New York after graduation. Working as an assistant to many top
fashion and still life photographers he gained the skills to become manager of 15 photographers in a
commercial catalog production Company. Returning to Atlanta in late 1988 he has continued his exploration of
the photographic medium, both commercial and fine art. Known for his finely crafted black and white images his
work has been featured in two solo exhibits, numerous group exhibits and featured in national advertising. His
work is proudly owner by many private collectors.
**********************************************************************************************
Brenda K. Mc Daniel:
“I do not handle watercolor in the traditional way, as most watercolorists do. Starting out painting with oils,
then acrylics, and in 1979, watercolor, I made the transition the only way I knew, so I tend to paint with
watercolors the way most artist paint with oils. I believe I was born an artist. As far back as I can remember I
have created my art on anything, even the bottom of tables as a child. My paintings are neither photo realism nor
impressionistic. They are somewhere in the middle. I tend to spend more time and energy on the main subject than
the rest of the painting. That is just my style.
**********************************************************************************************
Jo Cooper received her B.S. Degree in education and art from the University of West Georgia and engaged in
graduate studies at East Texas State University and the University of Georgia. She taught Science and Art in the
Gwinnett County School System. She also taught Art in the Carrollton Head Start Program and in children’s
art programs both in Texas and in Georgia. Her work has been shown at GPAC in Winder, Of W.G., Carroll
County annual Fair, and other locations. Awards of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place and Honorable Mention have been
earned. Her interest in art began as a child with chalk, crayons, and pencil drawing and progressed to
charcoal drawing and oil pastels in high school and college; then on to oils, acrylics, and watercolors. Most
recently she began hand building clay, primarily using under glaze firing for the brilliant colors and Raku
firing for the variation and excitement gas firing brings.
**********************************************************************************************
Bill Cooper received his B.B.A. Degree in marketing and management from the University of West Georgia. He is
the owner of William H, Cooper III, and Associates, Inc., a marketing firm. Having been in the business world full
time until recently, the extent of his “hand-work” has been home repairs, home improvements, and designing and
implementing small building projects. About 1&1/2 years ago, he became familiar with GPAC in Winder through
his wife, Jo, and began throwing clay. Since then, his work has been displayed at GPAC Gallery and at various
shows and festivals in the area. He enjoys high firing with traditional glazes as well as low firing with under
glazes. He recently constructed a Raku kiln and you can now find him firing outside his studio, Studio 23, in
Hoschton. Just follow the smoke.
**********************************************************************************************
For almost twenty years Rozelle Morton- Bush has been creating sensuous and colorful works of art from
glass. Her work has organic, flowing lines with lush, translucent colors. She also enjoys adding ribbons,
copper, blown glass and pottery to bring color, movement and life to her work.
Rozelle sees her work as a diary of her concerns, moods and experiences. As an artist, she feels a person has a
chance to change their life by acts of will: to share and give to others parts of themselves. She especially
enjoys the contact and communication with her clients.
The ability to maintain a high level of excellence gives her much pride, but the aesthetic experience and viewing
pleasure are the most satisfying. In her studio, she finds the ultimate freedom to design and explore the subtle,
sensuous, and sometimes disquieting areas of self.
The goal of Rozelle's work is to create art that speaks to the hearts of women. Much of her work addresses
the varied and changing conditions of women at different stages of their lives.
**********************************************************************************************
Rebecca McCartt has walked many career paths in her life. She has earned a B. S. in Studio Arts and minor in
Art History from Oneonta State University. She spent her senior year , at the Fashion Institute of Technology in
Manhattan to receive an A. A. S. in Fashion Buying, Merchandising and Display. To pay for her education, she
was a model for the Chelsea Model Agency, where she was exposed to professional photographers, visual
artists, sculptors and gallery dealers. Upon graduation, she was a manager in a department store, in her
hometown of Fairport, New York. After three months, she moved back to NYC to study and work as a
professional artist. She has studied; classical figure drawing, sculpture and perspective at the National
Academy of Art, painting ,figure drawing at the Art League, and printmaking and sculpture at SUNY Purchase.
Her encaustic paintings, mixed media collage and photography has been shown in several SOHO galleries.
Rebecca worked in retail management for eight years, than went back to college at Florida State University.
After she obtained a B. S. in Nursing, she found herself working as a registered nurse in the Winder emergency
room for four years.
When her daughter was born in 1999, Rebecca developed a rare form of dystonia (movement disorder), that
weakened her left arm and leg. As the door to a nursing career closed, she found the Georgia Piedmont Arts
Center door, was wide open.
It is here, where she has taught the Summer Kids Art Camps for five years. She has won numerous awards at the
juried at shows for her linocut/woodcut prints, mixed media paintings, photographs and gourds. She has
participated in many art festivals including the Sunflower Farm Fest in Rutledge,GA and the Celebration of the
Arts in Winder, GA.
“I believe all forms of the Arts teach children and adults self-expression, problem-solving, individualism,
tolerance for others and self- confidence.”-Rebecca McCartt.
“Spirit is an invisible force made visible in all life.”-Maya Angelou
**********************************************************************************************
Lisa Doster: Graduated from UGA with a degree in interior design and horticulture.
Began drawing on the walls at an early age when it was not so in vogue...walls do make the greatest canvas.
She taught ballet to three four and five year olds with the Athens School of Ballet and also taught Sunday
school at that time. Lisa works with acrylics mostly, but does love china painting. She studied under Pat Mercer
of Watkinsville, where she learned the art of painting on porcelain as well as pouring, firing and glazing the
porcelain pieces.
**********************************************************************************************
Andrew Eager
Growing up in the Eager house wasn’t typical, heck the house wasn’t even typical. My dad, Hoppy, built a passive
solar house in the middle of the North Georgia woods in 1980. Both of my parents taught high school at Lumpkin
County. Mary, my mom, taught math while my dad taught woodworking and drafting. At a very early age I
started working with my dad at the high school shop on the weekends and summers. Now that I am older I have
come to realize how much my dad taught me about woodworking. Every year in high school I took at least one of
my dad’s classes. I was able to build all kinds of stuff in the shop. Probably in 10th grade is when I got
introduced to the lathe for the first time. Between bigger flatwork projects, I would find my way over to the
lathe to turn pens, pencils, and bowls. After graduation from Lumpkin County High in 1996, I went to Erskine
College on a soccer scholarship.
While at Erskine College, I followed in my parents’ footsteps and majored in History and minored in secondary
education. After college, I began to do some small projects for my own use around the house. In 2004, I got my
first lathe. I have been hooked ever since. I started with Christmas and birthday gifts. After a year or so, I
decided to try some arts and crafts shows to expand into a small business. I did it mainly to pay for the next tool
or piece of wood. As my skills increased, I began to try new techniques that were more challenging.
I like turning because it gives me a chance to be creative. I enjoy using wood because of the natural aspect. Each
and every turn is different from the previous one. The endless styles, forms, and woods give a wood turner
plenty to keep them busy without becoming bored.
**********************************************************************************************
Jim Bell
Education:
The University Of Georgia
Masters Of Fine Arts, 1990, Georgia State University, Bachelor Of Fine Arts,1985
PROJECTS ( By no means a total list)
THE MAID AND THE JACK IN THE GREEN 2008
Veterans Memorial sculpture to Col. Ott
Osyka, Mississippi, 2007
THE SAINTS AT ST. MONICA
Catholic Church Of Saint Monica
Duluth, Georgia
1999-2004
**********************************************************************************************
Alice Stark is a self taught watercolor artist who began painting in her teens. She has taken classes from
several other artists to improve her technique over the years. Her work has won awards in Gwinnett and
Barrow counties and is known as far up the east coast as Boston. She also enjoys designing beaded jewelry
and other artsy things.
*********************************************************************************************
Charleen Romine is a full-time veterinary technician in clinical Radiology at the University of Georgia’s
Veterinary Teaching Hospital. There she helps teach the senior veterinary students how to x-ray dogs & cats,
horses & cows, birds & snakes, or what new patient comes through the door. Her artistic background was
originally in clay sculpture and woodworking. In 1991, she had the opportunity to learn stained glass and was
hooked, giving up clay. In 1998 with a desire to have more of a sculptural or 3-D effect in her flat panels,
Charleen took her first class in slumping and fusing. Since then, she has used these techniques to enhance her
flat work, and has incorporated found natural objects (i.e. driftwood, shells) in her work as well. Eager to
learn more about glass and all its possibilities, Charleen has also learned micro-mosaic techniques in fused
glass, lampworking borosilicate glass and beads, and glass blowing.
In January 2002, Charleen embarked on a new venue. Feeling the need to return to clay, but not give up glass,
she has found a unique way to work them together. Combined with driftwood which suggests a figure (usually
an animal) she uses Raku glaze fired clay, and glass- whether fused, slumped or lampworked- to complete the
figure. This new direction of combining her love for both clay and glass is not only exciting for the artist, it is
also personally rewarding. Future projects depend only on what waits to be discovered in the wood , or what
is inspired by the clay and glass.
**********************************************************************************************
SUSAN TILLMAN PELHAM
Painting Professionally since 1965, Susan’s work is represented in homes and businesses throughout the United
States, and she is currently collected in Sweden. Susan’s work has been featured in Southern Homes
Magazine, and Lake Oconee Magazine. She has won may prizes and received much recognition in the region. She
was commissioned to do a painting of the Jimmy Carter Tribute (sculpture on the Capitol grounds) which was
presented to President Carter and is now on display at the Carter Center in Atlanta.
Susan Earned her A.B. in Fine Art at Florida State University, a Major in painting and a minor in Art history,
studying with Karl Zerbe, and Fred Holschuh. She later studied at Southeby’s in London. Her portraits hang at
the National Forensic League in Ripon, Wisconsin, Appleby South headquarters in Madison, Georgia, and in many
public places in Monroe, Georgia. She currently lives in Monroe where she teaches and works in her studio.
**********************************************************************************************************************
About The Artist: Ellen Miles
As a young child I was always creative and inquisitive. My grandmother was the first to recognize and groom my
abilities. She taught me how to create patterns from newspaper for doll clothes and then how to hand sew.
Grandma’s house became my second home. Below her stairway was an enclosed alcove that I claimed as my
special hideaway. I spent hours hidden away, creating doll clothes and drawing images of animals and cartoon
characters from my Weekly Reader and grandma’s magazines. She would often remark to others that I was the
only grandchild she had, that could keep herself so well entertained. .
My love of art has continued over the years. Growing up on a farm provided me with many opportunities to
develop an appreciation of nature. I would ride our horses for hours through the countryside collecting wild
flowers, leaves, unusual rocks and creatures. Much of my art today is inspired by nature and organic forms
found in our environment. I hike through the woods observing colors, shapes, textures and light. I often
collect specimens to carry back to my studio for further examination and sometimes to use in creating a piece.
When I sit down to work on a project I sketch out ideas formed from my observations and imagination. I will
show different views and highlight embellishments and elements that might be included. I contemplate
construction challenges and sketch out potential approaches that I will try when I begin working with the
medium I have selected for that piece.
I have dabbled in many types of media but have found jewelry design most rewarding. My jewelry is created
from a variety of materials, including: precious metals, dichroic and fused glass, low fire clay and recycled
objects. I am always learning new techniques to add to my repertoire. I strongly believe in the practice of life-
long learning and continue to pursue my studies in the arts.
*******************************************************************************************************************************
Sheila Hibbert
I have loved art since I was very young. As a child, I can remember spending hours coloring, drawing, and
working on paint-by-number kits. In high school I chose art as an elective every year, and in my senior year, was
elected President of the art club.
In the mid-1990s I began experimenting with oils and have been working with them almost exclusively since then. I
have been studying under Barb Dickerson of Snellville, GA since 1998.
In order to “loosen up” my style a bit I began painting with palette knives. They allow me to add texture to my
paintings without sacrificing detail.
I have a love for birds, flowers, and nature, and they are generally the subject of my paintings. My work has
been displayed and sold in shows and retail establishments in the Lawrenceville, GA area.
| 120 N. Wayne St Monroe Ga 770-266-7437 Tue- Sat 10am - 6pm |
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