MOONbow ARTworks and Rose Cottage School of Art

I am Inspired by the environment of the place where I live, what I see, feel, & experience with the land & the indigenous flora & fauna, are reflected in clay and paint. The body of paintings I have created include oil, acrylic, and pen and ink/watercolors drawings. These pieces reflect the time I spend out in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. The subjects in these paintings are often the physical and sometimes the spiritual reflections recalled from those moments. The pottery I make is primarily hand-built from slabs of stoneware clay. The whimsical nature of the work added to the imperfect slab forms, make each functional piece unique. Animals are carved into the surface of the clay, then painted with underglaze, followed by a clear glaze to provide a smooth, food safe surface, for eating & drinking. These ceramic pieces are a joy to use when serving meals or for just a quiet moment for tea.  

The Reynolds Homestead

The Reynolds Homestead is a Commonwealth Campus Center of Virginia Tech located in Critz, Virginia. It features Rock Spring Plantation, the birthplace and boyhood home of tobacco manufacturer R.J. Reynolds, and a Community Enrichment Center. Built in 1843, by Hardin Reynolds for his bride, Nancy Jane Cox Reynolds, the two-story brick plantation home has been restored to its nineteenth century state and includes many of the original family furnishings. The grounds include the original brick kitchen, a brick milk house, a log icehouse, a log granary and a reconstructed tobacco barn. The family cemetery is located near the house and across a field is the cemetery for enslaved African Americans. The house is state and national landmark, and it is open for tours throughout the week by appointment. During the months of April through October, tours are available Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The guided tour fee is $5 for adults and $3 for students and children. Group tours are welcome and a brunch or lunch can be included at an additional cost. Please call 276-694-7181 to schedule a weekday or group tour.