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Wendy Keeney-Kennicutt

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Bryan-College Station has been my home since I arrived from Watertown, NY in 1975 to earn my Ph.D. in Oceanography.  It was here I graduated, met and married my love. I taught First Year Chemistry at Texas A&M University for 30 years & ran the Chemistry Open House for 13 years.  Teaching was my passion; I earned many awards including the prestigious Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence. I still tutor students in first year chemistry. I started watercolor as a complete novice in 2013 just before retiring, taking local classes with Hailey Herrera, Chris Wilson, Robyn Glass and Monica Pate. In 2019, Monica, Robyn and I started “Brazos Watercolor Retreats” in my art studio, but they moved on to other endeavors and now I continue to have monthly classes and give private lessons. I have been on the board of the Visual Art Society of Bryan-College Station for several years: 2016–2023 as treasurer, and president/technology chair for 2023-2025. I also manage our Aggieland Art Trail project.

  • Fun facts:
    • My undergraduate and master’s degrees in Chemistry were from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
    • I was a VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) volunteer in 1972-3.
    • I travelled through the US, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala in a Volkswagen bus in 1975.
    • During graduate school, I played on the first TAMU women’s rugby team and was an assistant cook in a gourmet restaurant.
    • I am the namesake for the Dr. Wendy L. Keeney-Kennicutt Endowed Lectureship for First Year Chemistry
    • I have visited all 7 continents, including Antarctica, with hubbie, Dr. Mahlon Kennicutt II, who was President of SCAR, Scientific Committee of Antartic Research.
    • You can find all my chemistry notes and help pages HERE, and take a look at this VIDEO explaining how I used the virtual world of Second Life to teach chemistry! That was fun!
    • Lastly, I am a retired herbalist and sell my herbal skin cream “Dr. Wendy’s Wrinkle Warrior” at Village Foods and online.

Examples of my art:

  • “Reflections on Reflections”
  • “Her Majesty”
  • “And Justice for All”
  • “Pineapple and Shadow”
  • “Young Elizabeth”

Joel Kitchens

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Although I was born in Birmingham, and grew up in small towns around northern Alabama, I have lived in Texas since 1997, and was on the faculty of Texas A&M University for nearly 25 years before retiring.

As a photographer, I am largely self-taught. I did take an art photography class in college that taught the basics of black and white film photography (no digital in those days!). Today, my photographic process remains traditional and purposely retro; from capturing images on black and white films in sizes from 35mm and 2 ¼ x 2 ¼, to 4×5 inches (my favorite!), developing the film in a wet darkroom, to printing the images on silver gelatin papers from the enlarged negatives. Each print is hand processed according to the Ilford archival sequence, toned in selenium, and mounted using acid-free materials for longevity.

My photography reflects a wide range of interests, including historic sacred architecture, landscapes and nature, abstracts, and still life. With my photographs, I try to attract viewers’ interest by revealing the “spirit of place,” as well as the interplay of light and shadow. I also try to show through my images that beauty, serenity, and tranquility are to be found all around us. In doing so, my purpose is to highlight overlooked details, pique viewers’ curiosity, and encourage them to see and experience familiar places anew.

  • Fun facts:
    • My doctorate in History was directly inspired by my photography of San Antonio’s Spanish missions.
    • Although largely self-taught, I have recently participated in workshops led by Alan Ross, a former assistant to the renowned artist, Ansel Adams.
    • Artists who have influenced or inspired my work include: Ansel Adams, Alan Ross, Edward Weston, Minor White, and M. C. Escher.
    • While working in my darkroom, I am usually listening to music by a wide variety of artists including: the Allman Brothers, Dave Brubeck, Jethro Tull, Kitaro, Rush, Miles Davis, B. B. King, Willie Nelson, Shadowfax, Eric Clapton, J. S. Bach, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and ZZ Top.
    • Favorite art/photographic-related quote: “One should not only photograph things for what they are, but for what else they are.” – Minor White.

Examples of my art:

  • 1856 Mission Bell
  • John Ford Point
  • Narrow Passage
  • Twilight McKinney Falls
  • Windows To Cross

Ashley Konderla

I enjoy creating surrealistic and abstract imagery that provides the viewer with a sense of exploration. I often find myself being drawn to producing things that mimic the beauty within the natural world. In combination with yogic philosophy, other major inspirations for my art include human anatomy, scientific phenomenon, evolution, and the psychological implications of inner work. As I continue interacting and growing in my environment, my goal for personal artistic expression is to incorporate the philosophical features of the world around me and the world within me.

Fun Fact:

  • I’m a certified yoga instructor and I love mochi ice cream!

Examples of my art:

  • Elephant in the Room
  • Cosmic Clutter
  • Trailblazer
  • Searebral
  • Devestated

Theodora Saladino Krc

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Art is a transcending language which Theodora Saladino Krc uses as a forum for her visual expressions in painting and drawing. In our newly emerging consciousness, she believes that visual art becomes a very necessary & powerful tool.

Theo pushes her imagination envelope towards an ever changing new frontier of thought. Using this transcending language of art to express those thoughts, she has created a personal consciousness which lies beneath her beautiful, elegant style of painting.

Using her newly formed visual perceptions, Theo imagines how life patterns of pure light would look while they exist in another dimensional space and are warped by some distant time relativity. In her creative philosophy, her cosmos would exist simultaneously to our now physical three dimensions and within a powerful magical parallel universe.

  • Fun facts:
    • Student of the universe
    • Writing a Book

Examples of her art:

  • “Golden Butterfly”
  • “Azrael’s Song”
  • “Space Bridge”
  • “Gabriel’s Joy”
  • “Back to the Beginning”

Jaimie Ladysh

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Jaimie is a lens based interdisciplinary artist. Her work is rooted in place in a spiritual way within the natural world. Currently exploring digital with edited and some composited images, she prints the images on special archival papers, then further manipulates with hand-coloring, painting, and sometimes encaustics. The results are often described as ethereal. Whether representational or abstract, she seeks the little mysteries found when light models on forms and color.

Jaimie has a long use photography of traditional film and silver gelatin, Cyanotype, Van Dyke, Photograms, photo manipulations, infrared, and other alternative processes. As a fine art major, she began exploring hand tinting, coloring, and painting of photographs with oils, pencils, and water based media while at the university. She used 35 mm, 2 1/4 x 21/4, and toy cameras.

Her work is archival; made with materials for longevity. She has been in many galleries, press, and venues. Pieces are in private, public, and corporate collections. All pieces are in limited editions of 10 or 15 in one or more sizes.

Jaimie was born in Ohio, and has lived in a variety of places in many states and countries. She earned a BFA from University of Montana with a certificate to teach. She has been an art educator in Houston for 30 years.

  • Fun facts:
    • Currently raising a 6 month old Newfoundland dog

Examples of my art:

  • Stormlight
    Stormlight
  • Pastoral Dreams
    Pastoral Dreams
  • Through the Meadow to the Sea
    Through the Meadow to the Sea
  • Sea Oats and Marla's Red Umbrella
    Sea Oats and Marla’s Red Umbrella
  • Tybee Dunes

Stacey Mayer

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Stacey Mayer’s art exudes an unmistakable vibrancy and unique flair. At the young age of 16, a tragic family boating accident forever altered her perspective, leaving a well of emotions that changed her perspective forever.

Stacey’s work in international lifestyle magazines has propelled her into the global spotlight. She is currently exhibiting some of her favorite creations in premiere galleries in Berlin, Dubai, and Venice.

Stacey moved to Bryan, Texas from Seattle, WA in August of 2020.

  • Fun fact:
    • Used to be a redhead.

Examples of my art:

  • Freedom Horse
  • Sunset Horses
  • Chestnut Arabian Stallion

Paula Denise Powers

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My journey to becoming a Photo Digital Artist started in earnest when I retired from the oil industry in 2014. I first learned to use my camera and progressed to learning composition and post-processing of my pictures. Then, I discovered the really FUN part!

I learned how to add layers, masks, blends, and filters to create ART. I took the course, “AWAKE: Living the Photo Artistic Life” created and taught by Sebastian Michaels. He not only taught me how to use the numerous tools of Photoshop, but about how to be an artist. Alas! I had found my calling.

I have been honored by having my artwork published in multiple international art magazines, exhibited in juried shows, and had a few solo shows. My artwork has been used to promote businesses, causes, and even charity.

This work makes my soul sing. My greatest wish is to bring that kind of happiness and inspiration to those that view it.

  • Fun facts:
    • As a renegade move, I chose to play the sousaphone in the high school band. Not only was I the first girl to play the sousaphone in that school, but the band took Sweepstakes in the state competitions all three years that I was there.
    • At sixteen years old, I attended West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M University). The school was only fifteen miles from Palo Duro Canyon State Park, which functioned as my primary classroom while I studied Geology and Art. I have taken photos, painted pictures, and mapped this canyon.
    • My first Physical Geology field trip was in the winter when a light sheet of snow covered the canyon. I am afraid there was a bit of slipping and sliding involved. I tell people that I studied Palo Duro Canyon by braille by the seat of my pants.

Examples of my art:

  • Bikes All in A Row
  • Man in Destress
  • Red Haired Woman
  • The Orange Show
  • Let The Music Play Thru

Renee Richards

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  • Media: Oil, encaustic, watercolor, acrylic, pastels, photography
  • 312 Dunn Street, Bryan Texas 77801
  • 979-229-0047

I am an Eclectic Artist and either this is in direct relation to teaching high school students to manipulate a variety of media to express emotions, feelings, attitude and intent for so many years or I became an Art Teacher because I liked to explore art styles, cultural influences, and techniques of modern and historical art.

I like to work in both Western and Eastern Art styles. I like both traditional and contemporary art and while I am very comfortable working in oils I also like the challenge of something new. I have exhibited work using Encaustic ( wax process), Acrylic, Sumi Ink, Watercolor, Clay, Glass and Mixed Media.

It is important to me to be engaged my art community. I belong to both local and state art organizations. I have received a great deal from these organizations so much so that it is important to me to also give back when I can. I have served as a treasurer for the BVAEA and I was an elected Region 6 Representative (two terms) for TAEA and have been recognized by George Bush Library as an Outstanding Art Educator.

I enjoy meeting, exchanging Ideas and working with other artists. I love viewing, making and exhibiting artwork. My favorite Author is Italo Calvino, each book he writes can be in an entirely different genre and topic from the one he wrote before -but It carries his distinctive style. I am inspired to be an artist that works in many mediums but while the mediums and topics are different they are still recognizable because they created from a distinctive view point.

  • Fun facts:
    • I love to take family and friend trips to places like Brazil, Costa Rica, Germany, Italy and most recently two weeks in Wales. I have to admit many of my trips are in the summer. I love Texas but don’t do well in extreme heat.
    • Alaska, North Carolina Mountains, Atlanta, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama are places that I also love and many of the places and the people I travel with and visit become subjects for my artwork.

Examples of my art:

  • Autumn Equinox
  • Black Bird in Tall Grass
  • Contemporary composition in Gold and Cool Colors
  • Aketcheta Weha (Soldier Woman) Lakota indigenous people
  • Captain Jack Sparrow

Mary Elizabeth Roberts

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  • Business: Silver Paintings
  • Medium: Colored pencil, acrylic and oil
  • mary.rroberts11@gmail.com
  • Instagram: _silverpaintingsco

Silver Paintings is a small aggie-owned business that is operated by local college student, Mary Elizabeth. She dedicates her work to her first teacher and business partner, Walter Dick, aka her grandfather.

Fun Facts:

  • I collect original artwork from artists and galleries when I travel internationally..
  • I have only been in business for one year.

Examples of my art:

Joana Rocha

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Horses inspire me. They always have. Since I was a little girl. Before I ever saw or touched one in person, I knew I loved them. It’s very cliche, I know. But the love is real. I grew up riding them, I went to school to study them, and all I can do is to paint them. I also love dogs and livestock and all wild animals, but I always come back to the horse. I am reluctant to call myself an artist, as I have an extensive science background and education. Calling myself an artist may be an insult to true artists who studied and struggled for that title. I am self-taught and simply express my need to paint my equine muse.

Examples of my art:

  • and they’re off
  • Loyal Friend
  • Beauty in Motiion II
  • Sunday Funday
  • Harvi