Works of art by Andrea Brunais and Lois Stephens will be on display at the Reynolds Homestead
Creative Arts Center, 334 Patrick Ave, Stuart, Virginia. The exhibit titled “Two Perspectives: From the
Land Up,” is free and open to the public, and runs through the end of May.
Lois Stephens has a B.A. from Mary Baldwin College with a double concentration in art and
communication. After more than 25 years’ experience as a graphic designer, she served as a marketing
communications manager at Virginia Tech until 2014. She now focuses on oil painting in an old
classroom at the Newport Community Center where gigantic windows flood the space with light. She
teaches painting classes for Virginia Tech’s Lifelong Learning Institute and has been a member of the
Blacksburg Regional Art Association since 2003.
Andrea Brunais is a lifelong journalist, author, poet, photographer and now a painter. Her “encore career”
is devoted to works created in soft pastels. She has a B.A. in mass communications from the University
of South Florida and has studied painting with pastel artists Alain Picard, Marla Baggetta, and Susan
Jenkins. She is a juried artist at Tamarack, West Virginia’s premier cultural and arts exhibition center,
where her paintings and prints are frequently shown. Her works are framed with local reclaimed cherry
wood stained with India ink.
On Saturday, April 23, Lois and Andrea will be teaching workshops at the Reynolds Homestead Creative
Arts Center. From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Lois will lead instruction on using palette knives to paint with oils
using one of her original sunflower paintings as a model. Participants will leave with two pallet knives to
practice their new skill. From 1 to 3 p.m., join Andrea as she offers instruction with soft pastels using a
Patrick County photo by Beth Almond Ford as a model for the art. Participants will leave with a set of
pastels to continue honing their skills. Classes are $35 each, and include all supplies. Register online at
www.bit.ly/CACArtRegistration or visit www.reynoldshomestead.vt.edu to find more information.
Following the workshops, the artists will be featured at a reception at the Reynolds Homestead’s
Creative Arts Center on Saturday, April 23 from 4 to 6 p.m. The artists welcome the opportunity to talk
with visitors about their work, and all works on exhibit are available for purchase. The Reynolds
Homestead Creative Arts Center is located at 334 Patrick Avenue in Stuart, Virginia. To request
accommodations, please call (276) 694-7181. For additional information visit Reynolds Homestead’s
Facebook page or website www.reynoldshomestead.vt.edu.
