Rivers L. Varn, Jr. was born March 8, 1936 in Beaufort, SC, and received a B.F.A from the University of South Carolina in 1958. He worked as an interior designer for the Dora Gray Studios (1958-1961) and Beckley Hardware and Supply Co. (1961-1965) before opening the White House Interiors in 1965. He has been a professional member of American Institute of Interior Designers from 1967 to the present.
     Rivers was a Graduate of U.S.C. with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and has been a member of the Beckley Art Group from 1961 to present.
     He has won five "Best in Show" ribbons from the Beckley Art Group Spring Shows, as well as numerous other ribbons from the Spring Shows. He was juried into the Appalachian Corridors show in Charleston, WV, won first prize in the Professional Division in the Roanoke Art Show, first prize in the Appalachian Arts & Craft show in Beckley, and first prize in the Beckley Newspaper Art Show.
     He has taught private classes for six years, has taught two 6-week oils classes during the past winter and spring, was President of the Beckley Art Group in 1970 and 1971, and was instrumental in acquiring the present building at 600 Johnstown Road in Beckley.

     I have been involved in art for most of my life, dabbling in all of the media from charcoal to oils, although my favorite is watercolor. I learned most of what I know from my favorite cousin, Margaret Jones, who is no longer with us, but still a real presence in my life.
     I have studied with many teachers, some of whom are Joe Mayer, Margaret Jones, Chris Uriola, Frankie Wheeler, Martha Atha, Rivers Varn, Skip Lawrence, Judi Betts, Pat Lusk, and Bruce Bowersock. I have exhibited in many shows and have won many ribbons. People often ask me why I just sign "Wilma" to my art work, and I have to tell them that there is not enough room on my paintings to put Wilma Greene Cook Bryant Meadows. Enough said.
     I taught in the Raleigh County school system for 33 years, and I really loved teaching. I'm now retired, but busier than I've ever been. I am on the Board of the New River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, am currently the Vice President of the Beckley Art Group, was on the Board of the Women's Resource Center for 10 years, organized the first Beckley Jr. Art Club in 1964, and am getting ready to kick off the second Jr. Art Club. I was also recently asked to be on the Raleigh County Community Action Board. I have accepted the job of Fund Raiser for the Beckley Art Club and have high hopes of putting us on the map.
     I have two beautiful children, Joel Cook who lives in Alameda, California. He and his partner, Kim, have two beautiful children, Claire who is 11, and Hayden who is 9. My daughter, Shelly, lives in Beckley and has three children, Ben, who is a senior at WVU, Soraya who is a junior at WVU, and Farrah who is 8 and a budding young artist. I love life, friends, and being involved with people.

     It Seems that I have always enjoyed art and photography. As a teenager I sold chances on a tip board and won a simple box camera. I used that camera for years. My Mother, Wanda Stover, always encouraged my drawing, but as they say, life got in the way.
     I have been employed by the US Department of Labor's National Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beckley for 35 years. I am an Audiovisual Production Specialist, and I travel to mines all over the United States, filming scenes for making safety DVD's.
     I am a volunteer and board member for the United Way of Southern WV and coordinate the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) for all the federal agencies in the Southern WV area. I also volunteer as the Treasurer for the Beckley Art Group.
     My husband, Wes, and I live in Cool Ridge, WV. We have three sons, two daughters-in-law, and three grandchildren. We both enjoy boating, gardening, four-wheeling, and playing with the grandkids. My husband's idea of retirement is to fish 365 days of the year . . . that is why I became more active in the Arts.
     After taking watercolor classes from Mary Ann Hodson, I look at the world differently. I'm trying to decide the best way to capture the color of a sunset or how to make clouds appear fluffy and white. Art has opened my eyes . . . I now see Life in a better light.

     Pat is a native West Virginian and lives in Beckley with husband, Ken, who is also an artist. She is a'retired nurse and massage therapist.
     A member of the Beckley Art Group, Pat has attended art classes and workshops in Charleston and Beckley. Her paintings have been shown in West Virginia and Virginia, and are in private collections in North Carolina, Texas, California, and West Virginia.
     Juried exhibits include the Cynthia Bickey Gallery and the Randolph County Community Arts Center. Other shows have been at the Beckley Art Center and the Appalachian Arts and Crafts Festival with first place and honorable mention awards.
     "In the various subjects I love to paint I hope the viewer finds something that will stir a memory and warm the heart."
     Click here to see Pat's paintings.

     Ken is a native West Virginian, born and educated in Fayette County. He is a graduate of W.V.I.T.
     Ken lives in Beckley with his wife, Pat, who is also an artist.
     Ken is mostly self-taught, but has had instruction in Charleston and Beckley. His paintings in acrylic and oil, have been shown in West Virginia and Virginia. They are also in private collections, including commission work.
     Juried exhibits include: Beckley Art Group, Randolph County Community Arts Center, and the WV Culture Center's Inspired series (second place award). Other shows include the Cynthia Bickey Gallery and the Appalachian Arts and Crafts Festival.
     "I like to paint various subjects, but my favorites are of rural America. I hope the viewer shares my joy in capturing the visual splendor of this great country, expecially our beautiful West Virginia mountains."
     Click here to see Ken's paintings.

     JoAnn is a graduate of West Virginia University with a BS degree in Home Economics and Science. She began her teaching career in her hometown of Charleston, WV. She and her husband, local attorney Buck Byron, moved to Beckley in the fall of 1970. They are the parenst of three children and grandparents of four grandchildren. She taught in Raleigh County for 22 years, retiring five years ago. One of her goals when she retired was to paint and draw. Her sister, who is a very talented artist and teacher, encouraged her to pursue her dream. Four years ago she began painting with Liz Fisher's art students. She joined the Beckley Art Group and has entered several shows, winning several ribbons. She has taken classes from Jeanne Brenneman, Bruce Bowersock, Henry Wyfvinkel, Sandy Shaw, Frankie Wheeler, Fred Graff, and Mary Ann Hodson.
     So far she has worked only in watercolor and enjoys this medium. She finds painting and drawing very relaxing, and at the same time, quite stimulating.

     Liz resides in Daniels, WV with her husband Max who is a retired dentist. Formerly a legal secretary, her hobbies include golf, hiking, painting, and her two grandchildren.
     During the 25 years she has been painting, Liz has studied under many nationally known artists including Barbara Nechis, Alex Powers, Tony Couch, Jeanne Dobie, Pat Lusk, Frederick Graff, Judi Betts, Guy Lipscomb, Joe Miller and Rivers Varn working in watercolor, oil, acrylic, and mixed media.
     Fisher exhibits at Tamarack and numerous other juried shows, including the Appalachian Arts & Crafts show, the Cynthia Bickey Art Gallery, Beckley Newspaper, and West Virginia Watercolor Society. She has won many awards, including the "Award of Excellence" at the juried show at the Beckley Newspaper, and "Best of Show" at the Appalachian Arts & Crafts show in 2007.
     An active member of the Beckley Art Group and the West Virginia Water color Society, Liz has taught classes in the Beckley area. Her paintings can be found in several businesses and private collections.

     I have spent thirty-five years of my life pursuing a deep and undying desire to paint what I love through expression of the visual arts. A great deal of what I have learned is from many devoted hours of never giving up until I totally understood materials, techniques and application. I have always strived to capture a feeling of reality and depth in my work, but sometimes go beyond to the abstract.
     Most of my painting life, I have experimented with many techniques to put my feelings and emotions on paper or canvas. I have always been interested in a variety of subjects and places, so this has enabled me to explore many areas. The subjects most dear to my heart involve things of antiquity, like old houses, buildings, windows and handcrafted items. I also love to do landscapes that create mood, texture and movement in the eye of the beholder.
     I have exhibited in many shows and participated in numerous classes and workshops. My memberships include Beckley Art Group, Signature member of the West Virginia Watercolor Society, Allied Artist of WV, Southern Watercolor Society, and American Pen Women. Many of my paintings are in individual and corporate collections.

  
Bruce and Lillianne Bowersock
(Click on picture to see bio)
Bruce has a new "How to Draw and Paint" website on which he can teach anyone these skills.

Don Hall
(Click on picture to see bio)

     My needlecraft talents were inspired by my mother. She quilted and made all of our clothes which mostly were made from feed sacks. Many were finished with hand embroidery, and crocheted items decorated our house.
     Fascinated with Mom's quilt making at the age of six or seven, I would clip her chain stitching threads and stack her pieces as she sewed with her trusted Singer sewing machine. Around the age of twelve, I learned hand quilting from the ladies of our church.
     I am self taught at my crocheting, often sitting cross-legged in the middle of my bed with crochet books, cotton needles and "Learn How" books while Glen Miller music was playing the the background on our floor model radio.
     During my high school years at Shady Spring High, home economics was taught and my sewing skills produced outfits for myself, family and friends. I learned knitting from my friend Alice Mills.
     Classes and education include Toile painting in oil from Joan Ferreira, Oil Painting from Carl Burrow, Oil Painting from Brenda Kincaid, Acrylic Painting from Olive Jo McCoy. I have received awards from the Hinton Railroad Festival for quilts, the Beckley Art Group for heritage crafts, the Appalachian Festival for quilts, and the Beckley Woman's Club for crafts. I am a member of the Beckley Woman's Club, the Beckley Art Group, and the Beckley Concert Association.

     I am a West Virginia native and have lived in Beckley since 1972. My life's work has been in nursing, volunteering through my church, and parenting, but I have always been interested in different forms of arts. Although I have had some formal instruction, I am mostly self-taught. For me, art must have a mission or a purpose to be most enjoyable.
     My first opportunity to develop an art form was in 1968 while my husband was stationed at a naval base in Gitmo, Cuba. We were not allowed to leave the base, so there was a lot of time for fun activities. Several of the women met regularly at a ceramics studio on base to learn the techniques of ceramics. Over time, I have completed many projects and one of my favorites has been banks. When each of my children and grandchildren turned 4 years old, I painted them a bank. Making a unique bank for each unique child was fun, and I wanted them to have something I painted. It also encouraged them to save their coins for something special.
     My next mission came to me when in the process of retiring from nursing after 43 years. I wanted to give my nurse co-workers a little gift, so I started painting bookmarkers. When other staff members showed interest in the tiny paintings, I made more. On my last day of employment I have out 90 bookmarkers! During this activity I found that painting "de-clutters" my brain and relaxes me. Since I was enjoying myself and will share any God-given talent I might have with others, I continued painting and have painted larger projects on paper and canvas as well as glass and stoneware. When I paint anything, I usually have a relative or friend in mind.
     I have always sewn since I was a young teenager, but only in later years have started sewing fun projects such as pillowcases, aprons, book bags, doll clothes, and bottle covers. The satisfaction for me in these projects is the knowledge that they will be used and enjoyed. When I design and construct such items, I think of the recipient enjoying the special touches that went into making them. Thus, they have a purpose for me as well.
     The Beckley area has a terrific art community, and I am happy to be involved in the Beckley Art Group. I originally joined the art group in 2008 because I wanted to be around individuals who were highly talented, thinking that some of it might rub off on me. Since then, I found their suport and influence extremely valuable. I have also taken a One Stroke Painting class from Sandra Ryder and a drawing course from Sandy Shaw. My thanks go out to these talented women, and I recommend their classes to anyone who is trying to develop skill or expand their perspective.
     In addition to drawing, painting and sewing, I am busy with activities at St. Francis de Sales Church and Hospice. I am also active in the Raleigh County Book Club and the YMCA. Reading, gardening and yoga are my favorites and recently I am learning to play the piano and do line dancing.
     I have been married to the same man for 43 years, have three wonderful children and nine charming grandchildren.

     Peggy and her family moved to Beckley in 1993. She and her husband Robin have 5 children and 7 grandchildren. She is a small business owner working with Coldwell Banker Real Estate as an independent sales agent and owner of Peggy’s Doodles, Original Pen and Ink.
     Her love of art began when she won her first award in grade school then as a college student she was fortunate to have quality instruction in various mediums. She inherited her talent from her father. Throughout her life she has added her artistic touch to many facets of her community work.
     When Peggy is not selling real estate she is in her art studio. In 2004 she started her business, Peggy’s Doodles. Through pen and ink Peggy sketches architectural renderings. The drawings not only capture architectural elements of homes and historical buildings but those things symbolizing heritage, memories or glimpses of special places. Her work expands to landscapes and popular designs. She embraces the emotional connection as she draws which reaches past the eye of the beholder and into the heart.. These original creations make enduring gifts that friends, families, co-workers , new homeowners and history buffs will admire and appreciate for ages.
     Peggy exhibits her original art locally as well as in private collections in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia. She is currently exhibiting at the Beckley Newspaper Office. She promises to keep space on her work calendar for the next original and says, “Just Call Peggy!” 304-252-4705