“Capturing light is my inspiration,” says fine artist, Bobbie Brainerd of Monterey, California, “I love expressing what I see around me – in plein air  and in the studio.”

An artist by education, Bobbie spent many years as a professional graphics artist in Northern Virginia. When a work transfer moved her family to California and her children grew up, Bobbie “moved into the next phase – growing as an artist – in the oil medium.” Her new phase began in 2013.

“My goal is to bring beauty to people’s lives to improve and transfer their impressions of life; touching their souls with beauty,” says Bobbie of her hope for her paintings. She is a voracious art museum student and has visited many of the world’s galleries where she views and studies the techniques of the masters.

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Living in Monterey gives Bobbie exceptional opportunities to capture the natural beauty of the region.  Her favorite is working in “plein air” where she paints outdoors capturing the moment and experiencing the light, much like Monet did more than 150 years ago. “My studio is often a knoll overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I also have a studio. My studio does not have to be perfect. It is workable,” says Bobbie.

How has Bobbie gained popularity in such a short time? “My Instagram followers have doubled from 250 to over 500. I participate in guilds and coops where my paintings get exposure. I am vice president of Central Coast Artists Association where we have frequent exhibits. I love being able to help give other artists opportunities to exhibit and grow,” said Bobbie.

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Bobbie has been my friend for nearly 30 years. While I knew that she was “artistic,” I had no idea how really capable and talented she is until I started seeing her work on social media. I found many of her pieces irresistible. Fortunately, I have been able to acquire several of  my favorites. Each piece that I have speaks something special that touches me in a meaningful way.

My first piece was  Lavender in a Blue Vase with Copper Turkish Coffee Pot. Why? Well, the coffee pot’s gleaming copper side drew me in and brought back warm childhood memories of a copper pot on my grandmother’s stove. The Utah Road  road takes me to a place of trail ride memories with my beloved horse, Daisy. Sunflowers and tulips? Flowers  evoke feelings of joy and promise. My latest – Wildflower Bounty, captured my heart with memories of bluebells on the trails in Great Falls, Virginia, and the vast light and expanse where Daisy and I once rode.

Growing is Bobbie’s goal. She would like to be represented by a gallery. She has gained recognition in shows and competitions. “To grow, you have to work on your craft daily. I loved participating in the 30-day painting challenge because I had to produce one painting each day for 30 days. This stretched me – my discipline as well as my vision,” said Bobbie. “I am always looking, studying, learning, and expressing.” Bobbie grows through giving to others – whether it is beauty or exposure.

“My favorite tool is light,” concluded Bobbie. It is that light that first captivated my imagination for her paintings.

Thoroughbreds love to run. They are smart athletes with great power and energy. Even if somebody never goes to a racetrack, they often tune in to watch the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in  May.

The road to victory at the racetrack is one paved with patience, understanding, consistency, attention to nutrition, and teaching to the individual horse’s needs and abilities. English-born, Neil Morris, does just that at the newly restored Middleburg Training Track in Middleburg, Virginia.

Neil credits his early exposure to horses and racing in England to his passion for working with horses today. ”Horse racing is a dominant sport in England. Everybody is exposed to it,” says Neil. “I had a little pony jumper as a child and got hooked on horses very young,” he continued. He is the only one in his family with the “horse fever.”

Morris’ passion grew from jumping  his pony and taking him on local fox hunts to attending agricultural college and studying equine science. “It was not my parents’ first choice for me but my passion persisted.” Over the years, Neil worked for horse owners and trainers in both the U.K. and the United States. Eventually, his success and business grew in the U.S. Today, in addition to being an effective and successful trainer, he is Joint Master for the Orange County Hounds.

Neil said that he chose Middleburg, Virginia because, “ I was fascinated by the vastness of the land where one can ride and train without coming to blacktop roads. It is no like that in the U.K.”

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Thoroughbreds race on the flat at racetracks as well as on grass and over timber and hurtles in steeplechases (point-to-point races). Neil trains horses for all of these disciplines. Typically, he rides steeplechasers in the hunt filed to build them up and keep them fit for racing. The Virginia hunt season begins in September and ends in March. Steeple chasing begins in February and ends in May, returning for several point-to-points in October.

In 2018, Neil Morris was “the only trainer on earth to win a four (4) mile race and 4 ½ furlongs race,” according to This is Horse Racing. His trainees have repeatedly won the Virginia Gold Cup races at Great Meadow in The Plains.  On October 26, 2019, Dapper Dan, owned by Donna T. Rogers and trained by Neil Morris won the 3 mile Steeplethon Stakes at the International Gold Cup Races at Great Meadow.

In addition to having more than 30 horses in training, Neil competes his trainees in races on tracks along the East Coast – from New York to Florida. He carefully selects venues and races that will showcase his trainees’ best skills.

To properly develop an athlete, Neil focuses on nutrition and fitness. He understands the importance of controlled growth and development – physical and mental.

His plans for 2020? “To win more races. I’ll go where my horses take me – hopefully to the winners’ circle,” says Neil Morris.

Nov. 8 – Washington, D.C. – The 2019 William & Mary Annual Reception, 2019 Evening at the Embassy, was held at the Italian Embassy. The Reception is an important event in the Chapter’s annual activities. This is where alumni meet, greet, and listen to the latest developments at the College and learn about the goals for the future of the Association and the College. Being the mother of a Class of ’05 alum, I have the privilege to participate.

The sold-out event was held on Friday evening. Alumni, parents, family, and friends were in attendance. The dress was business formal and in true William &  Mary spirit, guests came in suites and dresses with high heels, albeit a little wind-blown. The reception featured bars serving Italian wines and a buffet of Italian delicacies. The long bar lines gave opportunities for cheerful conversations.

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On either side of the marble floored atrium was a collaboration between the Italian Studies department and the Muscarelle Museum. W&M faculty member, Sara Mattavelli, Lecturer of Italian Studies and Italian Language House Advisor, represented a five week summer 2020 travel abroad program to Florence, Italy. The immersive program will house students with local residents, conduct classes and tours in Italian, and help the students experience Florence not as tourists, but as locals. “There will be opportunities to experience fashion design, learn Italian cooking, tour galleries and museums, be surrounded by the Florentine architecture, visit wineries, and breathe the Tuscan air,” said Sara. Her eyes sparkled with her passion for the program and the beauty that is Florence.

On the opposite side of the hall was the exhibit, The Tomb Project That Never Saw the Light . W&M Michelangelo scholar, Adriano Marinazzo, Scholar-In Residence at the Muscarelle Museum of Art, presented snippets of his digital findings of the original intent of the Sistine Chapel. He explained, “There are many levels and I have inspected with high powered equipment and believe that this was intended to be an architectural project.” The layers depicted on the monitor demonstrated his findings. As Michelangelo was, Arinazzo is also an architect. The project is vast and intriguing.

Funding is a key consideration of every university; W&M is no exception. “The goal to reach $1 billion by 2020, while enormous, it is attainable inasmuch as $75 million is still outstanding,” explained W&M Advancement member, Jonathan Overstreet. Being a University of Maryland alum myself, I shared that I was not keen on supporting their efforts given my early experiences. Thoughtfully, Jonathan listened, then asked, “Is there no aspect of value that you took away with you that has helped you in your life so far?” Well, then. That was never how I looked at my relationship with my alma mater, yet, his challenge was impressive and worthy of consideration.

The evening was joyful, professional, and energetic. Seeing friends and classmates connect was heartwarming. The next event for the D.C. Metro Alumni Chapter will be the Yule Log celebration in December. There, guests place their wishes for 2020 on holly springs in baskets that are then carried to The College in Williamsburg, Virginia, and tossed onto the fire of the yule log. Being the second oldest university in the country, the College has rich traditions and a deep heritage.

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We were celebrating my daughter, Tiffany’s, birthday. The day was perfectly autumnal with bluebird skies and an ever so slight chill in the air. We were here to visit the Costuming The Crown exhibition –  our wonderful friend, Susan’s gift to Tiffany. Being avid fans of the Netflix series, The Crown, an afternoon looking at the costume details and learning about their design and creation was exciting.

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Before entering the impressive Winterthur house, we rode a tram where we were treated to a delightfully narrated tour along winding lanes and sweeping vistas. Our tram guide told us about the vision of Winterthur founder, Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969) to create gardens of colors and textures to delight throughout the year. She told us about the azalea grove’s “watercolor pastels shades”  of early May, about the tens of thousands of bulbs planted to “carpet the hills with flowers,” the whimsey of the Follies, and about certain special trees.

“The two Sargent cherry trees to the left, were planted in 1918 and are the oldest cherry trees in the United States,” our guide told us. “On the right, we are passing the Enchanted Garden with the Faerie House – see it’s thatched roof? This is the children’s garden.” “The American sycamore next to us is 273 years old and is the oldest tree at Winterthur,” she described as we oohed and aahed.  Someone exclaimed, “Look – there is a hawk in that tree!” Our guide stopped the tram and allowed us to take time admiring and photographing the handsome raptor.

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In addition to out arboreal and landscape discussion, we were treated to a conversation about the Follies that dotted the landscape. Follies, we learned, are architectural constructions intended to amuse, delight, and pique one’s curiosity. The Follies Exhibition presents 13 follies. The follies that we passed ranged from the simply charming to the darkly gothic to the reflective and the floating. The garden whimsies were set among the landscape, and true to their intent, captured interest and curiosity. The Chinese Pavilion folly at the entrance of the house greeted us. It’s green structure and garden themed design made a lovely transition from the natural beauty we just experienced to our anticipated adventures.

There was a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers at the check-in desk. Having just heard about “pastel watercolor shades,” the bouquet brought forth a metal image of the azalea grove in springtime. Tiffany enjoyed its fragrant, delicate flowers of cream colored roses, lilac and pink snapdragons,  rose calla lilies, and nectar-colored flowers that we could not name.

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At the top of the stairs, was the grand exhibit, “Costuming the Crown.” It was a visual celebration of light, color, texture, design and inspiration. A vast collection of 40 costumes from the first two seasons of the Netflix series, The Crown, beckoned. The exhibit showcases and describes  the costume  similarities and differences of the original garments and their adaptation for the modern audience, the physical attributes of the actors, and their movement on set. The designers’ reflections on their creative process, commitment to details, explanations of fabric selections, detail adaptations, and design specifics gave us a new appreciation.

The exhibit was at once splendid and very personal. The displays were accessible, often, nearly 360°. While observing the detail of the Queen’s wedding veil, we were amazed that a security guard did not ask us to step away.

The great lengths that the designers went to create exact copies or make them as close as possible, is evident in the creation of the Queen’s wedding dress and veil where a team of six embroiderers sewed by hand, for seven weeks – beading and embroidering the gown and veil. This was important to gain the confidence and respect of the audience.

Things that we, as viewers, take for granted include the intricate details and quality of the costumes, the necessary adaptations for the actors versus the actual persons, and even the movement of the actors in relation to  the historic figure(s).

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The wedding gowns worn by the Queen and her sister, Princess Margaret, were created as closely as possible to the actual garments. However, the actresses portraying the Queen and Princess presented physical challenges in maintaining the scale of the gowns. Margaret was five feet tall. Vanessa Kirby, who plays her is 5’7”. The dress had to be re-proportioned so that it would look right on the actress. Accomplishing this required additional and various weights of fabric to develop the look and movement of the gown. The Queen’s gown proportions required reworking the sleeves to fit actress, Claire Foy.

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John Lithgow who played Sir Winston Churchill is 6’4”. Churchill was 5’6” tall. Lithgow’s scale and proportion challenges were overcome with construction of an undergarment that added bulk to the body and adapted posture –  some “behind the scenes” bits demonstrated the designers’ and creators’ humor.

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One of my favorite displays was the Kennedy visit. Both the Queen and First Lady wore beautiful gowns in shades of blue for the state dinner. The video playing above that exhibit is an exchange between the Queen and her designer, “ …one must ask oneself what precisely one wants to feel when wearing it.” The Queen (Claire Foy) replies, “I just think that one doesn’t want to feel . . .second best.” ”Quite.” Replies the designer who continues, “Especially when one is very much the senior of the two individuals. . .  In terms of rank, ma’am. To that end, I have something quite specific in mind. … Mrs. Kennedy may have dazzled in Paris, but let’s not forget France is a Republic – This is a monarchy. And if you’ve got it, flaunt it, I say.” The tension between the Queen and Jackie Kennedy is well documented.

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Click to see and compare the actual gowns and setting with those of The Crown.

Costuming goes beyond clothes. It includes jewelry, crowns, diadems, tiaras, hats, shoes, gloves, the smallest of accessories, and the awe-inspiring swords at the sides of the royal men’s formal attire. Distinctions between black tie and white tie were explained. To create the plausibility and reality of the series, it is the details that keep us spellbound. The jewels are breathtaking.

We walked around each room many times, stopping to examine various missed details. “This exhibit is incredible,” said Susan, with a satisfied smile. “It is worth many times its cost of the admission ticket. And we get to tour the entire house and property as well!”  After our last pass and almost memorizing the displays we headed for the gift shop.

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We walked back to the Visitor’s Center. We came across a grove of very tall trees. What surprised me was the absolute straightness of their trunks. They were very tall with their branch canopies more than 100 feet above. I wondered if squirrels climbed that high.

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Costuming The Crown and Follies: Architectural Whimsy in the Garden, will be on display at Winterthur until January 5, 2020. This is a worthwhile trip for those who appreciate The Crown, architecture, American art, landscapes, trees, breathtaking views, and very nice staff.

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Founder, Cherry Tapley, thanked the enthusiastic crowd gathered at Delirium Café in Leesburg for participating and helping raise funds for the mission of Nalani Horse Rescue. She repeated the statement, “Saving one horse will not change the world, but surely it will change the world for that one horse.”  The day’s events included stops at many local breweries, including Black Hoof Brewing Company, Bike TrAle Brewing, Black Walnut Brewing;  ending at Delirium Café.

The sunny afternoon inspired patrons and supporters to come out for some fellowship and fun and show their support for the horse rescue efforts of the organization. Cherry’s son, Wim, was the feature entertainer. His music transcends decades and stimulated the upbeat atmosphere.

Nalani Horse Rescue, is a non-profit organization, whose mission is to provide horses in need of rescue and care with rehabilitation and training with the goal of finding them safe forever homes. In her short presentation, Cherry explained that one horse can cost up to $10,000 per year to rehabilitate and manage until the right rehoming opportunity arises. There are four horses at Nalani now. The most recent rescue, “Devil in the Shadows,” now called, Belle, a 6-year-old thoroughbred, was a race track discard headed to slaughter. With just enough funds raised, Belle came to Nalani. Now, she is in good flesh and in professional training to go to her next career as a purposeful riding horse for the lucky person.

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“Nalani means ‘The Heavens” in Hawaian,” explained Cherry. “The horses that we rescue give back more than we can ever give them. We want to give them the opportunity to live a loving, healthy life, in a trusting respectful environment. We are committed to saving as many horses as financially possible. Your help makes our mission manageable,” she said.

Since their inception in 2013, Nalani has rescued and rehomed a number of horses. Having just moved to a different farm, they are gearing up for a busy 2020. The funding needs are huge. Cherry’s faith is strong. She believes that the best occurs with faith and perseverance. Among the special aspects of this organization is that it is small and very personal. Nalani is Cherry’s labor of love. She is personally invested and available to address questions directly.

Did you wish for a pony or a horse when you were young? Now, you can help rescue a horse (or several) with your donation. Horse rescue is a serious business with immeasurable rewards. If  you want to help the mission and make a world of difference to a horse, consider donating

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Abby responded to a question about her inspiration to create art, “The world needs beauty and imagination. I play with pigments, mostly watercolors and brush pens, because I need beauty and imagination, too.”

Asked about her preferred themes, Abby  replied, “Back to nature, beauty, exploring the moment. My favorite subjects are usually animals and landscapes.”“I try to capture the personality of the animal. In landscapes, it is  feeling rather than fully representational that is important. It is that moment and the place that inspire me,” she continued. For Abby, it is about time and space.

About her background as an artist, Abby told of her childhood, “After dinner, my father would read to us for long periods of time. He would read and I would draw. In college, I made detailed drawings while taking notes. Today, I listen to stories while I draw and paint. The stories are not related to the art, but they put me in ‘The place.’”

The process of creating a painting is multi-layered. Abby explained that she uses a variety of media to create and capture her subjects. “Daniel Smith watercolors are my favorite watercolors. They are soured from organic minerals . They are made from real jade and real amethyst. These produce vivid colors and are amazingly colorfast. Brush pens provide a wide variety of use options and are portable and a fantastic for detailing; they can be ‘bled’ with water. Inktense offers opportunities to be used dry or can be wet for different textures. To be permanent, it has to be wet.” How did Abby develop the knowledge and skill to employ the wide variety of media? Abby smiled and said, “My mother-in-law is an artist and challenges me to experiment.”

Drawing form photographs and experience is Abby’s preferred method. The horses that she loves and rides, the barn cats that frolic through the barn, the beautiful pastures and trails that she sees and rides provide material to her imagination. “It is about the beauty, the movement, the particular moment” that inspire me,” said Abby. She freelances, takes commissions, and sells her work on Redbubble, Etsy, and through local galleries. Her website is Rave’s Landing – https://theravenslanding.com/ What better gift can we give than one made with love and imagination – with talent?