Laura has worked in publication layout & design for several colleges and universities. Her commissioned artworks have been printed in brochures and are displayed by prominent members of the City of Petersburg and UVA. She has exhibited her work at Aromas Café in Charlottesville, The Avenue Art House in Louisa, The Arts Center in Orange, and The Retreat in Petersburg, Virginia.

Laura has been an art teacher for more than 20 years. She has taught in private and public schools as well as co-op organizations. After working and teaching for the Petersburg Area Art League (PAAL), Laura became Vice-President of the Board of Directors where she led the charge in art education and the Virginia Standards of Learning for PAAL. She continues her work with PAAL as a Board Member to “promote and nurture the arts for all.”

Although she has taught and worked with different media, her love of photography and watercolor are where her voice is clear, and her stories are most impactful. Having traveled to many countries and experienced many cultures, her artistic viewpoint is focused on nature journaling and environmental preservation. She lives and works in Matoaca, Virginia.

“We grew up playing outside, walking barefoot on the moss, and climbing trees; today’s generations are growing up behind a screen. As artists, it is our responsibility to document nature so that it may be protected and remembered.”

-Laura Chalfant

Originally from Lafayette, Indiana, Ellen’s inherited talent is a family trait as her father too was an artist. She has remained steadfast and true to her DNA having trained as a Technical Illustrator at Purdue University. She continued her path as an Engineering Detail Draftsman where her work evolved from the drawing board with pen and ink to computer applications like Adobe Illustrator, Corel Drawing, and Auto CAD. She came to Virginia to work for the USMC in Quantico where her engineering drawings assisted in provisioning parts and equipment.

Her rooted talent and passion for pen and ink transferred beautifully to watercolor, her medium of choice. In watercolor, her focus is botanical illustrations and landscapes where the ink and watercolor washes come to life expressing Ellen’s clear and colorful voice.

Although self-taught, her knowledge of watercolor is precise and extensive. This thirst for the creative process has fueled her enthusiasm for mixed media, urban sketching, plein air painting, and illustrated lettering. Her work has been shown at the Chatham Manor in Fredericksburg, Lake of the Woods (LOW) Arts Group in Locust Grove, the Avenue ArtHouse in Louisa, and The Arts Center in Orange, Viginia. She currently lives and works in Locust Grove, Virginia.

“I am a world traveler, and my work is representative of the places I’ve visited and the people I’ve met; all of which I want to share with others.”

-Ellen Raguette

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Karen is a self-taught artist, but she has been drawing, painting and making masks since she was a young girl. In her 20’s, she exhibited some of her mask work in a small gallery in Louisville, KY. As an adult, she has taken classes in watercolor painting and sketching in charcoal, and currently works in watercolor and acrylic paint, and sculpts with polymer clay. For the past year, she has been exhibiting some of her work at The Avenue Arthouse in Louisa, VA.

The focus of her work is to paint people and nature using vibrant watercolors to display beauty and emotion. Her sculptures are focused on movement and humor.

As for influences on her painting style, Karen shared, “Vermeer’s use of light and color has always taken my breath away! Additionally, Georgia O’Keeffe’s use of vibrant color and lines to express joy through nature has been a big influence.”

“I’m mostly a realistic painter that uses color and light to express joy or strong emotion. I paint subjects that entice my eye and give me the thrill of trying to create beauty on a blank canvas.”

-Karen Franke

Darlene lives and works in Locust Grove, Virginia. Having worked in acrylics, she transitioned to Watercolor because of the movement and beauty in layering the medium provides. She never looked back and has now worked with watercolors for 20 years. Her work is luminous, brilliant, textured, and tactile.

She is self-taught and accomplished. Her focus is nature and her ability to bring a piece to life with layers and textures is extraordinary. Her knowledge of the medium is well studied. Her inspirations and quest for knowledge come from many avenues, but her search for textures has been influenced by artists like Ann Blockley.

Darlene’s membership affiliations include Lake of the Woods Arts Group in Locust Grove, The Arts Center in Orange Paint Club, and her work has also been shown at the Chatham Manor in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

“Expressing nature in watercolor involves layering and organic flow while hinting at the textures (rough, feathered, furry, misty, velvety etc.) that bring depth to the scene or the object. Watercolor is alive with movement, it’s always interesting and unique as it spreads pigment into creases and divots in the paper to show details and distance.”

- Darlene Agsten