May 2026 First Friday
The Sky’s the Limit
featuring
Coakley Brown, Linda Dessaint, Jordan Flower, Kim Hall, Lawrence Hollingsworth, Tierney Miller, Mel Neale, Marjorie Perrin, Karen Pittman, Monica Schauffler
Opening Reception: Friday, May 1
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
This May, we turn our eyes to the sky. Our May show invites viewers to look up and linger a little longer. Through oil, acrylic, and pastel, these ten Exhibiting Artists capture shifting light, color, and atmosphere in a collection inspired by the ever-changing beauty of the sky. From luminous horizons to richly layered cloudscapes, each piece captures a fleeting moment with depth and elegance.
The opening reception for this show will take place at Arts on Main on Friday, May 1st from 5:30pm - 7:30pm. Light bites will be served and beer + wine will be available for purchase. Live music will be performed by Louis Vangieri. This event is free and open to the public. The show will be on display until Saturday, May 30th. The gallery is open Wednesday - Saturday from 12-5pm.
Thank you to Arts on Main’s May Exhibit Sponsor, Vera & Cris Green!
Live music will be performed by Louis Vangieri at First Friday!
Many thanks to our First Friday Music Sponsors, Maria & Steve Peters!
Louis is an acoustic guitarist/instrumentalist located in Williamsburg, Virginia.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITING ARTISTS
Coakley Brown
“Drawing from my first career as a science teacher, but rooted in my childhood passion for art, I see with a sense of wonder that overflows into my painting. Seeking to stay aware and receptive to gifts of the present, I find truth and harmony in the interaction of things convention holds separate. This brings a spirit of playfulness to my work as I explore relationships between color, paint application, subject matter, and self. For me, painting means much more than documentation; it’s a celebration of found treasure.”
Linda Dessaint
“Capturing emotion through light and shadow, color and form — this is my pursuit. I aim to distill the energy of a moment into an experience viewers can enter: the hush after a summer rain, the warm glow of late-afternoon sun, or the glint of winter light on bare branches. The shifting seasons and the fleeting gestures of nature continually inspire me. I am grateful for the support of my family and friends, who taught me to look closely and to find joy in small, luminous details.”
JORDAN FLOWER
Raised in a military home that was constantly on the move, Jordan Flower weaves many distinct landscapes into his work; from the mountains, lakes, and autumn colors of upstate New York, to the large bustling cities of Seattle, San Diego, and Richmond, to the coastlines of Maine, Rhode Island and Virginia. Jordan is especially intrigued by the interaction of man-made and nature, and the play of light, both natural and artificial.
Jordan is represented by Cabell Gallery in Lexington, VA as well as Spa Fine Art in Saratoga Springs, NY. His work is also exhibited throughout central Virginia and upstate New York.
Jordan lives in the Richmond area with his wife and three children.
KIM HALL
“My work is a joyful reaction to the everyday scenes that we might drive past or that stream of light coming through a window as it fleetingly touches on an object.
I love the freedom of wandering those backroads and coming upon the perfect spot to pull over and set up my easel. It’s a good balance with the sanctuary of my studio, where I have can work larger, experiment and see where a painting will take me.
I have spent much of my life in or around the water and that is reflected throughout my work.
My intent is for a painting to be as much about the paint as it is capturing a scene. I really want the viewer to be able to find their own interpretation.”
Lawrence Hollingsworth
Lawrence Hollingsworth, a native of Norfolk, Virginia, derived his inspiration to paint from Country and Coastal landscapes and museum visits during his travels as an antiques importer in Europe and the U.K. He studied the styles and painting techniques of a wide range of past and present painters such as Turner, Corot, Courbet and Schmid, et.al. His primary medium is oil on canvas or linen and has patrons both in the Continental U.S. and Europe. He received his Doctorate Degree from the College of William and Mary in Virginia and he currently resides in Gloucester, Virginia.
Tierney Miller
“Each of my works captures not only a visual interpretation, but includes the spiritual nature of a moment…” While attending high school & college, Tierney’s interest in travel led her to pursue a career in photo-journalism. The time spent behind the camera and in the darkroom greatly enhanced her observation skills and refined her eye for detail. Until recently, designing, owning and operating retail establishments has been Tierney’s primary professional focus. She has always had an appreciation for art & was considering a second career in art brokerage & appraisal, when a major turning point came in the summer of 1996. On a whim she decided to enroll in a fine art painting class. She returned to Western State College in Gunnison, CO and earned her BFA in Sculpture in 1999. She has been creating and exhibiting her art ever since. Serving as a catalyst for her work, Tierney’s passion for travel continues.
Mel Neale
“I have done and redone pastels, oils, graphite, watercolor, acrylics, illustration and photography over my lifetime. Recently I have returned to my first love, pastels, especially the luscious soft ones. It’s like coming home. Many consider it to be the purest form of making art because there is nothing between the pure pigment applied directly by hand and the support (paper or board): no brush, no pen, no medium, very little binder. With soft pastels, I can combine my love for drawing with the richness of pure pigment producing a painterly effect like no other medium. I approach a pastel painting much like an oil, building the layers outwards, with special attention to surface texture. I especially enjoy painting people, landscape, and the slightly quirky or symbolic.”
Marjorie Perrin
Marjorie Perrin paints the world around her using the richness of oil paint to convey mood and sense of place. Her style is influenced by Impressionism and Classical Realism. She taught Studio Art for 30 years at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Studio School and continues to teach art workshops for the VMFA Statewide Program.
Marjorie graduated with honors from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; she also studied at Art Students League of New York and Virginia Commonwealth University. She has received several awards, most recent are Second Place Artists’ Choice Award for Tidelands Plein Air event in Tappahannock, Virginia in 2024, First Place at Gloucester Arts Festival Community Artist Plein Air Competition in 2019 and an Honorable Mention in the same event in 2024 in Gloucester, VA and Third Place in Plein Air Westhampton 2019 in Richmond, VA. She has also received two fellowships to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.
Karen Pittman
Originally from Virginia Beach, Karen moved to the Blue Ridge region where she attended Ferrum College and then Virginia Tech. Upon graduation, business took her back to the coast where she lived until she met and married her husband of 43 years. They lived in Roanoke until moving to Mathews County in 2020.
Karen was always driven to create, with a pencil or paintbrush and although she had no formal training until college, she obtained an associate’s degree in fine art, and a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design.
She says “The quiet contemplative nature of painting transports me to the places I paint, which are often land and seascapes in oil. Trying to create shadows in a cloud or the luminosity of a wave in sunlight, is such a fun challenge to me.”
Karen studied under many fine Virginia artists such as Ernest Johnson, Robert Carter and Jane Duncan Stogner. In recent years she continued classes with workshops in Raleigh NC, allowed her to study with Robert Burridge, Lisa Boardwine, Kimberly Maselli, Sterling Edwards and Tom Lynch. In 2023 she studied under local artist Gary Edmondson and national Plein Aire Artist Joe Gyrczak of NY. 2024 brought classes from the VA. Museum of Fine Arts with color and portrait studies.
Monica Schauffler
“I am a visual artist currently painting with oil, acrylic, and water media. Originally trained as film editor, I now paint full time. My work is inspired by the natural beauty and people I discover where I live and when traveling. While painting, I find myself in a timeless zone where memories and dreams influence my work. Each painting becomes a journey, changing over time until it combines imagery and emotion in a way that seems true to me. My paintings are exhibited regionally and can be found at schaufflerart.com.”