What a summer it’s been! The high point was a residency of two blissful weeks in July at the Moulin à Nef, an artists’ retreat in Auvillar, France. It’s run by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts where I’ve had a couple of residencies in the past (at least one residency at the VCCA is a prerequisite for attending the Moulin à Nef). One of France’s 100 most beautiful villages, the photographs here give only a hint

In March I spent eighteen blissful days at an artists’ retreat, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA), on the campus of Sweet Briar College in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. While in Virginia, I took a side trip to visit North Point Plantation in a beautiful, rural setting on the banks of the Mattaponi River. In the peace and calm of this lovely 1740s home, I started work on a grant application.

The capitalist market system often exploits workers. This observation is particularly relevant in regard to the “rag trade,” as those in the field refer to the fashion industry. Betsy Orbe Lester explores fashion, the ultimate disguise, as she questions the dichotomy between the well-heeled and shoeless Joes and Janes. Fashion her trigger, she seeks cultural icons: embedding meaning in, and from, the media, to lock in her reality. Her current mixed media work appropriates Vogue

Closing Reception: Friday, February 2, 7-9 p.m.     Call (813) 974-5464 for more information Artists’ Statement The capitalist market system often exploits workers. This observation is particularly relevant in regard to the “rag trade,” as those in the field refer to the fashion industry. Betsy Orbe Lester explores fashion, the ultimate disguise, as she questions the dichotomy between the well-heeled and shoeless Joes and Janes. Fashion her trigger, she seeks cultural icons: embedding meaning

The Fall Mixed Media Workshop was a full day of art, creativity, and conversation in my studio and on my back deck in the still lush surroundings of my garden. Our morning started with introductions over tea and coffee on my back deck.  After discussing the ways the word “fall” is used (as in free fall, fall in love, fall from grace, etc.) we did a warm up exercise in which we paired with a