Charlotte, was born and raised in Ohio and has enjoyed painting watercolors for many years. She began showing interest in art at an early age, but like most of us, put her talent aside to raise a family. Ten years ago, she renewed that interest and began to vigorously study with many outstanding international, national and local artists, learning new techniques and ideas.

The beauty of flowers has captured her "artist's eye" and she has traveled to Scotland, England, East and West coasts of America and Hawaii to paint the many types of flowers and gardens that have graced the countryside. She absorbs the history of every place she visits and expresses her love of florals or landscapes by capturing their sparkle, light, color and moods. These paintings have won many awards, and have been displayed in several art galleries.

Currently she has three paintings in the show at Summit Artspace - 140 E. Market, Akron, OH. This show will run through November 9th. Gallery hours are Thursday - Friday, 12pm - 5pm. Charlotte is president of the Womens Art League and her committee is now planning the art show at the Charles Mayer Studio, Inc. The studio is at 168 E. Market St., Akron, OH. Exhibition dates are November 1st - 22nd. Gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm.

Marcheta Davis, a native Akronite, feels no day is complete without her art, having been a lover and creator of the arts since very young. She is the mother of four grown children, grandmother of seven, and is a retired art teacher from the Akron Public Schools.

Over the years she has done hand-coloring of photographs for area studios, created tie and scarf designs, worked as a dress buyer, illustrated fashions for the Beacon Journal, decorated store window displays, painted countless signs and murals, and painted glassware, some at the request of Idabelle Firestone.

Awarded a scholarship to the Cleveland Institute of Art, she earned two degrees in her field at the University of Akron, and did graduate study with Elmer Novotny at Kent State University. Classes with Jack Richard and workshops with other artists, along with a session at Brigham Young University at Laie, Oahu, enhanced the development of her own rhythm.

She has exihibited locally since the age of twenty and through the years has juried shows, given demonstrations, slide shows and lectures, as well as won numerous awards and prizes.

A member and past president of the Women's Art League of Akron, Marcheta is also a member of the Hudson Society of Artists, is an associate member of the Ohio Watercolor Society, and has a signature membership in the Akron Society of Artists. She is a member and former trustee of the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, is a member of the Akron Women's City Club, and is on the board of Gallery 732.

Extensive travels have provided a wealth of inspiration and are evidenced in her paintings by the wide variety of landscapes, seascapes, and other subject matter. Having traveled to all fifty states, with visits to many of our National Parks, as well as to most Canadian provinces, she has also ventured to Europe, Greece, Israel, Egypt and the Caribbean. These journeys have prompted further study of art history and have influenced her work, lending it a new feeling. When traveling, she always takes along her sketchbook, paintbox and camera and, as often as possible, paints outdoors on location.

Marcheta enjoys working mainly in oil, watercolor and pastels, painting alla prima while emotionally responding to light and color with her paint strokes. She is continually involved in self-study and artistic experimentation...and is ever anxious to start her next painting.

Other samples of Marcheta's work

Laura (Merlitti) Franklin, born in Akron, Ohio. I have been a member of the Women's Art League for over 60 years, and served as the League's President in 1968, and Treasurer in 1970.

I attended Kent State University as an Art Major in both the Education College and the Commercial Art College. As an Art major at Kent State University, I studied with many fine Art Professors. Elmer Novotny, was my mentor. Took workshops with Jack Richard. Studied Pottery and Ceramics, and taught ceramics. After College, I taught for many years in the Akron Public Schools and in the Revere School System. Also did commercial Art work.

November 2001, I won third place award in the Women's Art League Annual Juried Fall Exhibition for my Black and White mixed media Ink abstract design. I was accepted in the Akron Art Museum show in 1966, and won a third place Art Award in that Juried Exhibit. In a needlework juried exhibition I won a third place Art Award for my Original Crewel Needlework design.

I was a judge for Miss Teen Ohio contests all over Ohio, and was adviser for the first Miss Akron Ohio contest which produced the first "Miss America" from Akron, Ohio. I did the fashions shows for Sears and taught their Charm classes. I did fashion shows for J.C.Penny stores.

I've traveled in most of the States, and traveled through many countries in Europe and as a serious photographer I have a huge collection of photo's I've taken everywhere I've traveled in the States, and in Europe and in the Middle East. Four trips to Italy, to Florence for it's Art History, and famous museums to study the cathedrals, the Ornate ceilings in the domes and special arch's, and the colorful tiles and mosaic's, and the tapestries because of my love for needlework, and study the sculptures. In Rome to study the Sistine Chapel Art. Pisa for it's archituture, Paris, to see the Grand Louvre museum and it's collections, To Pascara for it's Adriatic Sea beauty. My travels include, London, Greece, Turkey, Germany, Munich, Austria, Prague, Czech Republic, Poland, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

My interests are in all the Arts: weaving, needlework, ribbon work, counted-cross-stitch, fiber art, Ink, scratchboard, collage, pencil, pastels, watercolor, oils, and acrylic.

Other samples of Laura's work

Her initial goal as early as 1966 was to be Cleveland's best portrait artist. In some ways, the recognition came immediately. Within three years she was nationally known, having work accepted and exhibited in the country's toughest competitions. At that point it appeared that all of that would have to be put aside as family finances demanded full-time employment. By this time she was already the mother of three small boys. Her first stop was American Greetings where she was hired as a designer. Three years later she struck out on her own establishing her own business in Shaker Hts.; Elinore Korow: Portraits. The year: 1973.

Where did it all begin? Born in Akron, (known then as Elinore Vigh), by the age of four, she was drawing constantly. When she was seven years old, she saw a portrait by Thomas Gainsborough that focused her life direction, to be a portrait painter. She held onto that dream with a singlemindedness. Self-taught until her college years, she attended Siena Hts. Women's College in Adrian, Ml, and later completed her training at the Cleveland Institute of Art majoring in Portrait Painting under the sure hand of the renowned artist, RoIf Stoll. She married Jack Korow. Within five years her three sons were born. She did not paint again for seven years.

The driving need for living a life that mattered made her pick up her brush again, only to discover she could no longer draw. Intensive dedication whenever time permitted, often most of the night, many nights, when the children were sleeping, suddenly opened the floodgates and the ability not only came back, but far better than it had ever been.

Along with commissions, painting for shows, travelling in connection with her painting, sometimes great distances, and raising her family, she was asked to teach small groups of artminded men and women. This led to a second career. Cuyahoga Community College came into her life through Mims Adler who contacted her in 1978. Korow began teaching painting and portraiture in the Cuyahoga Community College Senior Adult Programs of Shaker Hts., Maple Hts., and Brooklyn in January of 1979 and continues teaching to the present time. She has directed and inspired students in groups and privately, and has also been on the faculty of the University of Akron, teaching painting.

Careerwise, her list of exhibits nationwide has been impressive. Prominent people she has painted include Charles and Kathy Walgreen of Walgreen Drugstores; Richard Oberlin, past director of the Cleveland Playhouse; Edward Lechner, Dennis McClung and Don Riordan, all chairmen of the board of Blue Cross/Blue Shield; Harvey Kresge of S.S. Kresge & Co.; Harry & Rainy Stitzlein, Univ. of Akron, Stirzlein Alumni Center; Dr. Merlin Bumpus, pioneer in blood pressure research from the Cleveland Clinic and many others.

Elinore Korow is listed in the Marquis Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in American Art, American Artists of Renown and many others. She is a member of the American Pastel Society (NYC), Women's Art Club of Cleveland (past president), the National League of American Pen Women, Charter member of the Ohio Watercolor Society, Signature member of the Akron Society of Artists, Women's Network (Akron), the Boardroom Group (Akron), the American Society of Portrait Artists (Montgomery, AL), and President of the Women's Art League of Akron.

Artist's statement: Portrait painting has always had a mystique about it that touches on the highly romantic and on the timeless. The likeness of someone captured in charcoal or paint becomes not only a family heirloom, but when beautifully painted, is "a joy forever."

I have done executive, boardroom, private and family portraits for thirty years. There is no doubt that a portrait can be the ultimate gift of love, of prestige, of lasting art. I feel blessed to have been able to realize a lifetime built on a childhood dream.

Ms. Korow was married to Dr. Harty Bieber and resided in Shaker His, until she was widowed five years ago. She now lives in the family home of her early childhood in Akron, which she has restored. She is the mother of Christopher Korow of Seattle, WA, David Korow of Stow, OH, and Dr. Daniel G. Korow of Grand Junction, CO.

Note: The above commentary was from an article written about Elinore in the summer 2001 issue of Northern Ohio Live Magazine.

Elinore M. Korow
923 Mayfair Road
Akron, OH 44303
330.867.8796

Linda Nye's love of historic architecture, seaports, and the natural surroundings of the ocean evolved as she grew up in the Tidewater Area of Virginia with all its rich history. At the early age of five, Linda was inspired by the carvings from the ships' bows and the seascape paintings at the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Virginia.

She developed a natural skill for drawing at an early age, thus its been her life's ambition to fulfill the calling of her artistic attributes.

Her enthusiasm to grasp new techniques continues as she visits museums of great works of art and researches how the masters learned and approached a new work. She says, "Sometimes I feel I'm almost walking in their foot steps."

Linda's present series of paintings recreate a moment of personal emotion from areas of Virginia, North Carolina, and Ohio, where she currently resides. Her painting's most common medium is watercolor, because of the expressive use of color and light, which she describes as "poetry in color". "I want to portray a place for reflection and release a way from the everyday troubles, a place of comfort and peace."

Linda has studied at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. She has also studied with many well known artists across the country to include: Don Getz, Fred Graff, Homer Hacker, Fred Leach, Byrd Looker, Wanda Montgomery, Marc Moon, Jack Mulhollen; and taken numerous workshops from artists across the country such as: Tony Couch, A rietta Pech, Susannna Spann, Arne Westerman, and Alex Powers.

Other samples of Linda's work