THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 17, 1997 TAG: 9701150144
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 77 lines
A founding member and Chesapeake resident, Eileen D. Risher, will lead the Elizabeth River Artists group through 1997.
The Elizabeth River Artists is a regional art club with a membership of 30. It draws its members primarily from Chesapeake and Portsmouth. Others hail from Norfolk, Suffolk and Windsor.
This will be the Western Branch resident's second time as the group's president.
``The first time I was was president it was just about 10 years ago, from 1986-88,'' Risher said. ``We started this group about 25 years ago with about 20 artists. We used to meet at each other's houses but then we kind of grew and got too big just to meet at a member's home.''
Other 1997 club officers include vice president Pat Britt of Portsmouth, secretary Almarie Matthews of Chesapeake, assistant secretary Naomi Sawyer of Portsmouth and treasurer Mary Earnhardt of Chesapeake.
The group meets at the Portsmouth Museum's Art Center/1846 Courthouse on High Street in Portsmouth's Olde Towne section.
``Right now our roster is at 30 and that's our membership limit,'' Risher said. ``And we do have a waiting list of people who would like to join us.''
While most feel that bigger is better, the Elizabeth River Artists want to keep the group and friendly, Risher said.
``We're all friends and we all like and support each other,'' Risher said. ``And we feel that 30 members is just right. If we got any larger, we'd lose that feeling of closeness.''
Risher said the group stages member shows every two months at the Maryview Medical Center's Second Floor Gallery. Each bi-monthly show features five works from five members.
The winter art exhibit at Maryview will feature the works of Risher with Chesapeake artists Joanne Brahan and Mary Lillian White, along with the creations of Portsmouth members Margaret Pendergraft and Virginia Taylor.
Risher, who started painting after her children were grown and left the house, is adept at watercolors. She said she began taking classes at various community centers and community colleges. She has studied with such well-known local art teachers as the late Suzanne Seidman, Norman Goodwin, Pat Bohon and Lillian Rosenthal, also an Elizabeth Artists member.
``I've tried just about every medium there is, but now I mainly enjoy watercolors,'' she said. ``With watercolors you never know what you'll get. You either wind up with a mess or with something interesting. You can have fun with it.''
Risher said she now loves to paint still life subjects including flowers, a few landscapes and even glassware.
``It is very difficult to paint glassware using watercolors,'' she said. ``It's not easy trying to achieve the illusion of glass reflection with watercolors. You have to keep at it until it all flows together in the right way.''
Risher's work has been accepted at various Tidewater Artist Association and Portsmouth Museum juried shows. She said she's won a few awards in her time. One of her most memorable awards wasn't even a blue ribbon.
``I got second place, but I was so thrilled, the first place blue ribbon winner was Wilbur Chadwick,'' she said. ``Now that puts me in very good company.''
Risher said she now only paints on Tuesdays when she meets informally with a small group of Elizabeth River members and other artists at the Cradock Art Center in Portsmouth.
``A lot of our members are in their 70s and some even in their 80s and they stay young and active by painting,,'' she said. ``I think you need something in your life to be interested in. It keeps you going and keeps you young. Art and the Elizabeth River Artists does that for me.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
AT A GLANCE
What: Winter Art Show.
Who: Featuring works by members of the Elizabeth River Artists.
Where: Maryview Medical Center's Second Floor Gallery, 3636 High
St., Portsmouth.
When: Show will run until Feb. 26 and can be seen during the
center's normal business hours. Call the center at 398-2200 for
times.