Cornerstone Gallery members in Bower's Botanical II exhibit

Desert Rose by Bonnie Kinnaird

Bower Center's Botanical II exhibit has just been installed and three of the Cornerstone Gallery members have work included:

Red Mystical Flower by Sergei Troubetzkoy

Oriental Garden by Dotti Stone

The exhibit will be up through May 3

Join the reception on Second Friday,April 11, 5pm-8
Awards will be presented at 6 pm.
The Judge: Beverly Rhoads, Artist and an Associate Professor at Lynchburg College.

Floral designers will be visiting the exhibit and invited to create floral arrangements to complement whatever art work inspires them. Entry information is available on Bower's website:
www.bowercenter.org. Go to exhibits and click on Calls to Artists and download the Botanical II Call for Artists.

There will be a reception to recognize the floral designers who participate on May 2, 2pm-4 at Bower Center.

New Mosaics by Dotti Stone added

 Behind the Keyboard Mask

Already there are new items posted in Cornerstone Gallery. Dotti Stone's Azalea Bonsai was created recently for the Look to the East exhibit at Bower Center and "Behind the Keyboard Mask" was in the Black and White theme exhibit last year.

Azalea Bonsai 

Also added is "Tidal Wave," an abstract mirror design that may be used as an accent piece or put in a foyer for that quick last peek before heading out the door. Chunks of peacock ore, glitter and metallic glass tiles are some of the materials included.

Garden Pals

Tidal Wave

   















And finally, a fun piece, "Garden Pals," friends comparing their flip flops, edged with Murano millefiori and topped with vintage flowers.

Mosaic wine bottle stoppers will be coming soon. They are perfect gift items for the person who collects stoppers or for anyone wanting something different to use after opening a bottle of wine.

Bonnie Kinnaird, Mosaic, assemblage and concrete artist

Trail of Tears

At the End of the Day

"My life of art is a treasured gift.  A gift of dreaming, learning, experimenting and manipulating materials ranging from paper to concrete.   Each day brings a new design, a new material, a new technique, a new challenge, at times coming together beautifully and at other times not.  But each day in the life of art is a day of excitement and passionate creativity.   I am appreciative of all those who share their enjoyment of all forms of art by a simple nod of the head, a smile or a second look … it is the ultimate compliment.  
A life of art 
is a life well lived"

Upon a Star

Dotti Stone, Mosaic Artist

Each of the next few days there will be a post about a different artist who is a part of The Cornerstone Gallery.

The room for this new gallery space is adjacent to mosaic artist, Dotti Stone's studio. She and potter Sally Carter decided to share the space and invited Gene Carter, Bonnie Kinnaird and Sergei Troubetzkoy to join them.

In the Looking Glass

Dotti started out as a professional photographer in the Washington DC area and owned and operated two studios there. In the late 70s/early 80s she sold Stone Photography to a staffer, and became a free lance photographer and started a stained glass business. Several years in Baton Rouge followed then a return to the DC area where she managed Dupont Photographers, which she bought in 1992 and in 2005 sold to a staffer. By 2004 she had already been introduced to mosaics, but it wasn't until 2007 that she avidly pursued it and that was after relocating to Wirtz VA. Teaching mosaics led to Bedford and in 2010 another relocation brought her next door to Bower Center for the Arts where she had already begun to establish herself and maintain a studio. 

In addition to exhibiting locally and nationally, and now in Bower Center's new Cornerstone Gallery, she is a member of TECAC, The Electric Company Artists' Co-op, 207 E Depot in Bedford.

She teaches youth and adult mosaics classes at Bower Center and on occasion for Roanoke Parks and Recreation at Brambleton Center. Teaching others this ancient art is another passion, so people can create mosaics for personal use, to introduce them to different techniques, to help them develop an appreciation for mosaics and to inspire others with what they make.

Crimson Rhythms
Mosaiced travel guitar

The materials incorporated into mosaics is varied ... from traditional marble, stone, porcelain and glass, to glass nuggets, gems and minerals, pebbles, beads, millefiori, stained glass, ceramic tiles, many found objects ... and the list goes on. 

Remnant: Reversible Blue
(made with Orsoni smalti)

Mosaics are challenging, whether on a flat surface or 3-D shapes. More recently a Remnant series has been evolving, of which "Remnant: Reversible Blue" is a part. The shapes in this series are typical of scraps of fabric that might be from a garment that keeps a memory of the past alive.

The timeless beauty and versatility of ancient mosaics and the ease with which it integrates into modern society is what attracted Dotti to this medium. They may be fine art works, decorative functional items, or public art. Creating mosaics and inspiring others to enjoy, appreciate and learn about this versatile art through exhibiting and teaching is her passion.