Botanicals & Blooms V
May 7 – July 3, 2025
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 10:00am – 5:00 pm
Botanicals & Blooms V, a celebration of all things floral and botanical, features silver jewelry by Adrienne Williams, botanical fiber art by Ana Sumer, mixed media watercolor by Nancy Avdoian, oil paintings by Linda Lee Layton, and floral bisque ware by Stephanie Barken. The artwork will be on display and available for sale May 3 – July 3, 2025
Join us for the opening reception on Saturday June 7, 2025 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Green Door Art Gallery is partnering with local floral designers to present Blooming Art 2024 on June 14, 2025, 12-5pm
The arrangements will be on display near the artworks that inspired their design during Saturday, June 14, from 12pm – 5pm.
You can purchase raffle tickets at the reception for a chance to take one of these spectacular floral arrangements home with you.
Proceeds from the raffle will be going to The International Institute’s food pantry. Our own Resident fused glass artist, Cathy Carney, is a volunteer ESL teacher at the International Institute. We share her passion for service and as well as garnering the highest respect and admiration for the dedication of all the students learning and working to become United States Citizens. We wish to support their dreams, acknowledge their real-world struggles, and help to ease their paths on this new journey.
Linda Lee Layton
Oil Paintings
“I received a Bachelor in Arts degree and the Outstanding Artist Award of my graduating class from the College of Charleston. After graduating life took me down a different path.
For the last 26 years I have been teaching first grade and loving it. When COVID came into our lives my path changed once again. I still teach, but pursue my art
at the same time.
In 2021 I was chosen to be a part of the St. Louis Art Fair Emerging Artist Program. Since then I’ve been invited to show my work in shows in and around the St. Louis and Illinois area and even had a piece displayed on Donnybrook.
More recently I was recognized with two awards at the Midwest Salute to the Arts in Fairview Heights on August 25, 2024. I received an Award of Excellence in my category and the Arts
Council Choice Award for my iris. This painting will be used for promotional purposes next year for the 37th Midwest Salute to the Arts Festival. Currently I have artwork at Elliot Robertson CPA from Jan-April 2025 in Springfield, MO and Gretchen Brigham
Gallery on N. Union Blvd.
I love working with oils. Oil is a medium which allows more flexibility, the ability to work more freely, changing and forming the image as I go along. I like working large and focusing on an image, its composition, drawing the viewer in, noticing the
shape/shapes, texture, and color. I tell my first graders I don’t want unnecessary white space, I want big, bold, and beautiful. I just have fun and paint what makes me happy.”
Nancy Avdoian
watercolor on Yupo
As a writing teacher for thirty years, words had always been my life, but now, like in a haiku poem, I want to capture that one moment in time in the natural world with watercolor paint—the essence of of that single second in which the natural world is linked to my human life.
In my studio, I paint to get back to that day standing over a pool of white waterlilies, or glancing between the woody vines of lavender and wisteria, or just taking shade under a pinkmagnolia tree, facing a field of purple irises.
When I mingle water with paint in my beginning process, I am still faced with things to work out—the elements of design, color, shape, lines, and textures—not words, any longer to describe bees buzzing through a cluster of black-eyed Susans in a three line Japanese poem with seventeen syllables—just paper, paint, and a brush.
Ana Sumner
Fiber Art
It was through a crazy quilt class that Ana Sumner fell in love with fiber art, and became passionate about stitching landscapes of flowers, trees and ocean scenes that captivated her heart, and express the beauty that she saw in her surroundings as she explored the natural world.
With the aid of a camera, she takes photos of nature to use as references, and translates them into art by using fibers. To create a scenic background, she stabilizes the fabric, and then paints it with watercolor or acrylic techniques. She then adds details using appliqué, free motion drawing with the sewing machine, and hand stitching. To give it a textural look she embellishes with silk ribbons, beads, specialty threads, and fabrics. Finally, she touches it up with paints which give the art depth and realism.
Stephanie Barken
Fired Bisque
Using fired bisque as her canvas, Barken combines a variety of glaze techniques to create a tactile quality for each painted piece. Tiny dots are her signature detail. Some bisque pieces are redefined by cutting, grinding, layering and combining with found objects and copper and brass.
