8 LOCAL ARTISTS AMONG BEST AT MT. DORA ART FESTIVAL

1/27/2017

It's no secret the Mount Dora area is a haven for individuals oozing with creative talent. This year, eight extraordinarily gifted local artists will be exhibiting and selling their work at the Mount Dora Arts Festival. This is no easy feat for the Festival is one of the top events in the country and difficult for artists to get into.

Here's a list of the local creative heroes you won't want to miss if you're headed to the Festival on February 4 and 5:

Painter Laura Varich (Photo by Trish Morgan, Mount Dora Buzz)

LAURA VARICH
One of the more contemporary painters in the festival, Varich is a master of abstract composition and color. The California native and Mount Dora resident is able to create large, bold landscapes and florals that command the viewer's attention, yet still evoke a sense of calmness. (Booth #D060, Donnelly Street between 4th & 5th Avenues)

Impressionist Jane Slivka (Photo by Trish Morgan, Mount Dora Buzz)

JANE SLIVKA
Slivka, an Ohio native that transplanted to Mount Dora, is an award-winning impressionist painter who often takes viewers on a trip to the shoreline. Layers of acrylic shape Slivka's often oversized landscapes and still-lifes. Read more about Slivka. (Booth #D114, Donnelly Street between 3rd & 4th Avenues)

Sliversmith Barbara Boyce (Photo by Trish Morgan, Mount Dora Buzz)

BARBARA BOYCE
This Mount Dora silversmith creates jewelry designs in sterling silver with meticulously selected stones and pearls. Boyce's trademark pieces have a crisp, modern aesthetic that make a contemporary statement. Read more about Boyce. (Booth # D080, on Donnelly Street)

Artist Lauren Graham Cunningham (Photo by Trish Morgan, Mount Dora Buzz)

LAUREN GRAHAM CUNNINGHAM
Cunningham's realistic oil paintings have graced the festival for years. The canvases highlight her developed sense of shadow, light and perspective. On occasion, the Mount Dora resident and South Carolina native treats viewers to a refined and subtle surrealism. Read more about Cunningham. (Booth #D061, Donnelly Street between 4th & 5th Avenues)

Painting by Graham Upton

GRAHAM UPTON
A Tavares resident, Lupton demonstrates amazing control of watercolors. The detail in his paintings of people, nature and landscapes is extraordinary for what is typically a more loose medium. His subject matter is often familiar to those who know Lake County. (Booth #522, on 5th Avenue)

ROSEMARIE BROWN
Brown is the only local glass artist in the festival. Her stained glass panels not only show her creativity, but also her ability to engineer intricate and complex works. Her work features a variety of colorful subjects and designs. (Booth 516 on 5th Avenue)

BRUCE NAWROCKE
The realistic paintings embrace nature using light, shadow and perspective to draw viewers in. His acrylic canvases take weeks or months to complete to ensure his landscapes have the depth his subject matter deserves. (Booth #539, on 5th Avenue)

Get the event's "Cheat Sheet" to help you get around during Mount Dora Arts Festival here.

KATE CARNEY
Carney is a contemporary impressionist that takes inspiration from nature and interprets it with color, light and form to evoke emotion. The Eustis resident often utilizes metallic paints to compliment her subjects--flowers, birds and landscapes. Her series on dandelions is extraordinary. (Booth #D073, on Donnelly Street)

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