The
Fall Fiber Festival is being held today and tomorrow at Montpelier, James
Madison’s historic home, near Orange, Virginia.
It’s basically a celebration of all things fibrous… meaning, yarn and
felt and the supplies you need to weave, knit, crochet and tat. It’s also a fabulous opportunity to learn
more about the animals that provide raw “wool”: sheep, goats, bunnies, llamas
and alpacas.
I
met this charming fellow last year at the Festival.
Very
confident and photogenic. He definitely
knows he is special (although I’m not certain he is a he).
Never
mind. He got me thinking about my
favorite “animal” artists from the region.
Marsha Heatwole lives near Lexington, Virginia, with a small menagerie of domesticated
animals, many of whom populate her art work.
And I do mean populate. Her
rather frenetic-kinetic-style really conveys humor and joy, and she manages to
capture each animal’s personality even in “group” portraits.
|
Audience of Sheep by Marsha Heatwole |
Marsha
works in a wide range of media, including:
Various
forms of etching;
|
Father's Day by Marsha Heatwole |
Silkscreen;
|
Rabbit with Iris by Marsha Heatwole |
Monotype;
|
Maurice by Marsha Heatwole |
And
acrylic paint.
|
Proud Cheetah by Marsha Heatwole |
We
own one of Marsha’s etchings: Chickens
Divine, and it hangs in our little hallway gallery of regional artists. Her original prints and paintings are very
affordable, but she also offers copies of her work in note cards, switch plate
covers and magnets. You can contact
Marsha directly or purchase her creations at Artists in Cahoots in downtown
Lexington.
Earlier
this spring, several artists in the Rockbridge County area, including Marsha,
held an open studio tour. They are
hoping to host another tour in 2013, so you could visit Marsha and her
furry subjects.
Cynthia Burke is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, and predominately paints in oil on
panel or canvas. Sometimes she uses
small, almost book-size, copper “canvases” to create these luminous studies of
local birds.
|
Goldfinch by Cynthia Burke |
As
you can see, Cynthia is inspired by nature and intimate interior scenes and
portraits from the Dutch Golden Age. So
she depicts the common Blue Jay as a rising guild member and our neighborhood
Possum and Groundhog in ruff and robes!
|
Blue Jay by Cynthia Burke |
|
Opposum by Cynthia Burke |
|
Groundhog by Cynthia Burke |
The
more exotic Snowy Egret and Flamingo are like feathery still lifes… all
gorgeous plumage instead of fading flowers and fruit… with backdrops of
tapestry and silk.
|
Snowy Egret by Cynthia Burke |
|
Flamingo by Cynthia Burke |
Cynthia’s
work is meticulous and luxurious. Just
about radiant.
And
amazingly priced. You can visit Cynthia
in her studio at the McGuffey Art Center in downtown Charlottesville.
Okay,
okay. I recognize that Catherine Ledner
is hardly a local artist. Born and bred
in New Orleans, she now lives in Southern California with her family and a
pint-size clan of animals.
Catherine’s
photographs of animals (whether the subjects are pets or wild beings) manage to
communicate what she sees and what she wants us to imagine. These animals are both individuals and icons.
|
It's hard to resist this shaggy sweetheart. |
|
Flamingo by Catherine Ledner |
Catherine
is well-aware of the juxtaposition, the slightly off-kilter look of her images. And that’s all part of the fun.
|
Fox by Catherine Ledner |
|
Llama by Catherine Ledner |
You
can find Catherine’s photographs in national advertising campaigns and major
magazines. But you can also commission
or buy her work for yourself. She has a
whole website devoted to her animal photography: Catherine's Animals. Her books Animal House and Glamour Dogs are
available through most bookstores.
|
Sheep by Catherine Ledner |
The
Fall Fiber Festival is always held the first weekend in October in a huge field
across State Route 20 from the Montpelier house and old train station. We try to attend every year for the sheep dog
trials (although the sheep are pretty obstinate by Sunday), kettle corn and
tent after tent of wooly wares. It’s our
kickoff to autumn and is usually a gorgeous day no matter what the
weather. Montpelier is nestled in a
beautiful stretch of the Piedmont – lightly wooded with views of the Blue Ridge
Mountains – and an easy drive from Washington, D.C. or Richmond.
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