Joyce J. Ritter, an accomplished Fabric Artist, swears she has threads wrapped around her DNA. She has been sewing since the age of seven, quilting since the 90’s (no age given!) and moved into her current method – making quilts that are mistaken for oil paintings – after becoming a resident artist at the Howard County Center for the Arts in 2016. She ascribes her transition from abstract to realism to the mentoring and support of the other artists at the Center.

Deborah is an accomplished artist in colored pencil, acrylic, pastel, and mixed media, who began studying drawing and painting with private instructors at the age of 9. Her award-winning work has been juried into numerous national and regional exhibitions and plein air competitions and is included in private collections across the U.S.Deborah also teaches introductory and advanced colored pencil classes and workshops in central Maryland.

From Peter’s childhood, he has always been fixing, tinkering, and modifying bikes, toys, and whatever he thought he could improve. He was the neighborhood “fix it kid.” This evolved into a degree in Mechanical Engineering and his handyman business of 36 years. His knowledge of engineering skills coupled with a side education in design, and love of experimenting and modifying, led him to working with precious metals and making jewelry.

Elizabeth approaches her artful jewelry-making from two criteria. First, she must be pleased with the design in all categories: color, flow, form, and craftsmanship. Just as importantly, it must meet her intent: creating a meaningful conversation with the viewer/wearer. Her work is always based on the conveyance of a common feeling or thought we can all relate to. Each one of a kind piece, is designed and named, to capture that moment of ”I’ve been there”.