Lewes artists studio tour returns Sept. 20
A group of 16 regionally known artists and artisans will display their creations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 20, during the Lewes Artists Studio Tour.
Free of charge, the daylong tour offers a unique opportunity to visit numerous artists in their studios and see their work; each artist will have a selection available for purchase. The studios are all within a short radius of downtown Lewes.
Several of the artists on the tour will host one or more guest artists. There will be free raffles at each artist’s venue, and drawings will be held at the end of the day at each studio.
Jean Doran works in acrylics, oils, pencil and watercolor, depicting her love of small-town life and an abiding appreciation of nature. Subjects include murals, portraits, houses, boats and animals.
Fred Dylla is a physicist who has maintained a career-long interest in the intersection of science and art. He enjoys studying and making white-line woodcut prints, a unique art form invented in Provincetown, Mass.
Joan Fabbri creates realistic works that offer a slice of life and defining moments in clear, refined palettes. Her landscapes, florals, still lifes and figure paintings are filled with details that draw in the viewer to wander through the images with ease and thoughtfulness.
Marilyn Feldman, who works in pastel, seeks to capture the seasonal light and moods of local wetlands and trails with rich colors and textures. She studied art at the Corcoran Gallery School of Art and George Washington University, and has won numerous awards.
A signature member of the Delaware Watercolor Society, Ruth Ann Kaufman is inspired by nature, animals, sea creatures and color. She has won numerous awards in regional juried exhibitions.
Theresa Kehrer, who has trained as a fine-arts artist for over 25 years, creates works on paper. She excels in more than one genre, presently working in drawing, painting and printmaking. She has been accepted into the International Guild of Realism and the Society of American Graphic Artists, and her works have appeared in numerous national and international juried exhibitions.
Mary Louise Lauffer enjoys repurposing found objects and setting bits of history into her fine metal jewelry and stained-glass pieces. Always evolving, her work demonstrates her love of experimenting with nontraditional methods.
Leslie Delmege McDonald paints boats, beaches and birch trees that seem to spring directly from her palette.
Sarah Pavlik, a fiber and quilt artist, is inspired by abstract composition, creating large works with unique color, shapes, lines and textures. Pavlik works intuitively until a desired composition is achieved. Her work has been exhibited locally, nationally and internationally, and is currently part of an International Quilt Museum exhibition called Color Improvisations 3, curated by well-known artist Nancy Crow.
Steve Rogers is an acrylic painter whose primary area of interest has always been boats. Rogers has consistently been fascinated by the ocean, and he is drawn to harbors and marshes in equal measure. His work reflects the respect he has for those who make their living on the water, and his canvases are a window into that world for those who have been forgotten and those who were never known.
Lois and Bob Schlowsky are internationally recognized husband-and-wife artists, doing complex illustrations on functional pottery and sculpture. There is a story behind every piece they create.
Jenn Wagner started her career in art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas. From casting bronze sculptures to creating intricately detailed jewelry, she is influenced by the coastal region, and her experiences living overseas in Budapest and Paris. Locally, she created the memorial marker in George H.P. Smith Park honoring the former mayor of Lewes.
Jeff Watson is an award-winning potter who has been making pots for more than 40 years. He learned his craft at the Undertaking Artists Cooperative in Lorton, Va., the Corcoran School and Hinckley Pottery in Washington, D.C., and through workshops by internationally recognized ceramicists. Watson strives to follow the Japanese Mingei tradition of making beautiful objects for everyday use. He especially likes the soft feel of matte glazes, quiet decoration, and a bit of whimsy now and then.
Caryl Williams paints plants on their terms, showcasing personalities that allow for survival. She also flattens her world with trompe l’oeil pieces such as fish bowls, cherry pies, Chinese vases and historical people like Mark Twain.
Patrons return for the tour each year to check out new works by some of their favorite artists and artisans, and meet new ones. They enjoy talking with the artists, learning about their processes and what inspires them in their creations. Being allowed into an artist’s studio space is an exceptional experience.
For a printable brochure and map, go to lewesartistsstudiotour.com.
