A Naturalist's Legacy and If you need Chocolate...

There is only a little over a month left on the show, "A Naturalists Legacy", at Zeppolis in Blacksburg, VA so I wanted to plug it again.  If you didn't read the promo before, here it is.  I am very proud of this tribute to my husband's conservation efforts.

A Naturalist's Legacy is a new show by award winning artist Kendall Kessler.  This show is centered around the achievements of Kendall's husband, Clyde Kessler, a well known naturalist in Virginia and North Carolina who has been studying the bird and butterfly populations and migration since 1975.  He has participated  in Christmas bird counts for the National Audobon Society since 1973.  His discovery in Virginia of the endangered Mitchell's Satyr in 1998 led to efforts to protect the species in the state.  It was unknown in Virginia at the time. It is considered to be one of the most important wildlife finds in the second half of the 20th century. Clyde has also led hawk watches since the mid 70's at Rocky Knob and other locations, and has surveyed Wildwood Park for plants and animal species for the city of Radford.

Clyde is also a poet who publishes twenty to thirty poems every year in print and online magazines.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Blue Ridge Discovery Center. This organization offers innovative education programs in southwestern Virginia that include studies of the natural world, art and writing. These programs are for children and adults of all ages.  Clyde is hopeful that the efforts and programs of BRDC will encourage future generations to enjoy and protect the environment. For more info about Blue Ridge Discovery Center:

http://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/

Clyde is a regional editor of Virginia Birds, and also leads bird watching tours for Radbird, a local tour company started by Catherine Van Noy.

A Naturalist's Legacy will have a new, symbolic painting taken from an old photograph of Clyde and his son Alan who is one of the many young people Clyde has taught over the years about this beautiful mountain region.

Now, for fun, a commentary on commercials. Last night we saw a commercial about a cereal with pieces of chocolate added to it.  My husband quipped that if you have to have chocolate at breakfast, then you will probably be scarfing it for lunch and main lining it at supper time.  I think he may have something there.  I love chocolate but I think I can eat cereal without it.

Various Comments on my Work and Run Over by Chocolate

Over the years I have received a lot of interesting comments on my work. Artists and patrons have often compared me to Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Cezanne. One artist saw the influence of 20th century colorist Pierre Bonnard on my work. Many artists have seen the influence of Claude Monet. These are artists I greatly admire but I think my work is unique to me and I have developed a style that has a tremendous amount of visual strength through my own layering process.

My favorite comment that I hear a lot from admirers is that my paintings make them want to touch them. I am especially pleased with my complex surfaces that can only be understood through visual language that the average person does not study. I think the comment that they want to touch the surface indicates the visual communication has been successful.

I have received a lot of praise from patrons over the years but my favorite comment came from a woman that bought my painting at the Three Rivers Art Festival in Pennsylvania. She sent me an email and said she made her husband buy that painting for her and when they divorced it was the only thing they fought over. I'm sorry her marriage didn't work out but what a compliment!



I love chocolate. I don't know any people that don't like chocolate. My favorite kinds are the chewy kinds - especially chocolate with caramel centers. I am quite the sugar addict. What do you call someone that has been run over by too much chocolate? Tootsienami!