Artists in Town for RenoFest Find "Divine Inspiration"!

Three artists in search of an interesting place to paint during Easter weekend found xxxxxxxxx to be just the inspiration they hoped it would be. Their easels set up on 4th Street this morning created a small crowd, it's not every day that we see artists at work on a Friday morning, but with bluegrass fans in town, anything goes!

Grady Sullivan gave me a call, and said, "We've got some really interesting artists in front of the church, you may want to drive down and take a look." Here are some photos that Grady got of the ladies.

photo courtesy of Grady Sullivan

Willard Jacobs, one of our own artists, talks to the artists in town for RenoFest. Photo courtesy of Grady Sullivan

Have easel, will travel! Photo courtesy of Grady Sullivan.

It didn't take long, and I was on the way uptown to meet them!

Please click on their names for a link to their website.

Diana Pratt Dice an artist from Lilburn, GA, shown below with her painting of the Ladies Parlor stained glass windows at Wesley UMC, said that she and her friend Judith Surowiec looked around for a great place to paint this weekend and learned about the RenoFest weekend. "The weather is just perfect!" she grinned, her bubbly personality just as effusive as her colorful palette. Judy had met the other painter, Amy, when they painted at Callaway Gardens a few years ago. They got back in contact with each other and thought it'd be fun to paint somewhere really different, and here we are!"

The effervescent Diana Pratt Dice with her rendition of the Ladies Parlor windows at Wesley UMC on the first day of RenoFest 2008

Amy Ringholz, an artist from Jackson Hole, WY, usually paints with oils and found the blustery day to be a challenge, "The acrylic is really drying quickly!", she said. "I usually do animals, this is something completely different for me." Amy gave me one of her business cards, and it has a Grizzly Bear on one side, and a wolf on the other...go to her website to see all her "critters". Below, Amy is shown with her painting of the stained glass windows from outside the 1903 sanctuary at xxxxxxxxx on the corner of 4th Street and College Avenue.

The gorgeous palette of Amy Ringholz of Jackson Hole, WY as she paints the stained glass windows at xxxxxxxxx on the first day of RenoFest 2008

Judith Surowiec, an artist from Buford, GA, was the woman that found the RenoFest on line and decided this was a great place to come for the weekend. "There wasn't much going on for Easter weekend, but since we all love bluegrass music and love painting in different places, we decided to come!" See her vision of the outside of Wesley UMC below.

The vibrant, lighthearted view of Wesley UMC from GA artist Judith Suroweic on the first day of RenoFest 2008

I asked if ladies' families' were in town with them, and they all laughed, "No, way, someone has to be home making the money...I left my husband at home!" said Diana. Her husband does love bluegrass and even plays the banjo, and Judy's husband loves it too, so maybe the guys will join the artists next year! You may get a chance to see them painting in town this weekend, make sure to catch a peek at their awesome work!