Meet Our Instructors

Jamie is an award-winning freelance outdoor and nature photographer. She is a Lensbaby Ambassador with a passion for capturing and sharing the intimate moments and beauty of the natural world on its own and as it blends with the “rest of the world.” Her images range from macro and abstracts to intimate, grand and rural landscapes in color, black/white and infrared. Jamie connects with all things “old” and finds a special beauty in decay and fading cultural lifestyles that resonate a life of hard work.

Jamie often focuses on the intimate details that can only be seen when the hurried pace of life is slowed. Her artistic style leans heavily in the interpretive and creative rather than documentary. Her goal as a photographer/educator is to instruct, encourage and inspire. 

Learn more about Jamie at www.newlifephotos.com 

As a multimedia artist, Paul's practice ranges from painting and photography to digital collage and animation. The work often relates to light, pattern and topography. He is particularly interested in observing moments of un-covering and re-covering, examining the act of transformation.

Paul received a B.A. from the NCSU College of Design and an MFA from Western Carolina University. He has participated in artist residencies at The Bascom Center, Vermont Studio Center, I-Park and Keystone Art Space. Paul's work has been exhibited across the U.S. in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Currently he is a visual arts instructor at Mitchell Community College.

Learn more about Paul at

paulfarmerartist.com

Harold Frontz is a versatile painter with an aptitude for all aspects of landscape, seascape and still life painting. He is strongly influenced by artists of the Massachusetts Cape Ann School and has studied with Gloucester artist Charles Movalli. 

Harold received instruction at the

British Mounts Bay Art Centre in Newlyn and painted en plein air in Cornwall, England and Northern Italy. 

Harold’s work is best described as impressionistic, featuring clean bright hues that provide an interesting

variety of temperature, intensity and value.

Learn more about Harold at

frontzstudio.com

Tony Griffin is a classically trained painter. Griffin’s work has evolved from a deep-rooted understanding and appreciation of the academic approach to a more personal and direct interpretation of his experiences and surroundings. He is a perceptual painter; his work is based on observation and direct response. 

While Griffin remains faithful to the principles and ideals of his classical training, his work has developed into a looser, more confident voice - a testament not only to his skill, but to his personal vision. In 1970, at the age of eleven, Griffin embarked on his artistic journey in Florence, Italy. While attending the American International School of Florence, Tony lived and apprenticed with fresco artist Ben Long. During this time, he received training from the atelier of Sigorina Nera Simi at the recommendation of the Italian master, Pietro Annigoni. 

Griffin’s early artistic training was heavily influenced by the Italian Renaissance masters - a set of artistic ideals that was enjoying another renaissance in Florence’s dynamic community of expatriate artists of the 1970’s (and still persists to this day). With a solid foundation in academic drawing, Tony briefly returned to the United States in 1974 to attend the North Carolina School of the Arts (1974-1975) and was to permanently return later to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art (1979-1983). Currently, Tony divides his time between his studio in Charlotte and his summer home in the mountains of North Carolina. 

Dixon Handshaw is a photography educator based in Mooresville, NC. He spent 35 years of his career as a learning and performance consultant as president of his own company, Handshaw, Inc. Before that he earned his living as a professional photographer. Now he is combining those two experiences to teach fine art photography in both digital and film formats. His favorite aspect of teaching is inspiring students to find personal expression through the lens of a camera.

Dixon has a BFA in photography from Alfred University and a MS in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. He served on the Board of Directors for The Light Factory in Charlotte, NC and chaired their Education Committee where he also served as an instructor and designer of courses. He served on the Board of Directors at the Carolina Raptor Center in Charlotte, NC, where he designed and taught a course in Bird and Wildlife Photography. 

Dixon is now a member of the board of directors for Mooresville Arts and Education Committee Chair. He has been passionate about photography since he was 14.

Learn more about Dixon at www.handshawphotography.com

Mary-Louise Biasotti Hooper, an international Italian-American artist, was raised amid the art shows of Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village NYC. She specializes in oils and watercolor inspired by her own photographs. She has been teaching art classes for over 20 years.

Her immigrant family did not encourage art as a career and she entered the field of education. Eventually she earned 5 university degrees including a doctorate. During those years she presented numerous research papers in 9 countries and was awarded a 6 month senior-research Fulbright Grant to Italy in the Arts and Humanities.

Internationally, she is life-juried into the Biennale Internazionale Dell'Arte Contemporanea [Biennale International Contemporary Art Show] in Florence, Italy, has work in private collections in Italy, and shown in Germany. She is also juried into the Gallery of International Fulbright Artists/Scholars and has participated in international art projects.

Nationally, she has participated in numerous juried and non-juried individual and group shows in Michigan, California, Florida, Kansas, Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. 

Mary-Louise Biasotti Hooper is presently a member of the International Fulbright Arts Task Force, an Associate member of the Oil Painters of America, and a member of the Mooresville NC Art center where she is a master teacher of art.

Learn more about Mary-Louise at

hooperart.com

Brenda has been a member and volunteer at Mooresville Arts for 7 years. She is also an artist. Her artwork consists of watercolor and acrylic paintings. She enjoys painting flowers, nature scenes and abstract in both watercolor and acrylic.

Brenda received a BS in Child Development and Family Studies and a BA in Interior Architecture, from UNC-Greensboro. Her background includes teaching pre-school classes and working with children of all ages.  

She is excited to share her passion of art with the summer teen workshops. 

"I believe everyone can express themselves through visual arts."

Learn more about Brenda at

brendakadlecik.com

As an art educator for over 15 years, Justin Justin has instructed all grade levels, from Kindergarten to the collegiate level.   

He received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Time-Based Media Studies (Animation), from Columbus College of Art and Design, Masters of Fine Arts in Illustration from Academy of Art University, and Art Teacher Certification from Seton Hill University.  Justin has worked with ESPN, Wendy's, and the Walt Disney World Company within the visual arts field.   

"As an educator in the field of visual arts, I feel that it is important that every individual finds their own way to self-express themselves and to use that skill when moving forward in life's journey."

Malia creates pastel paintings with the goal of bringing the openness and peace of being outdoors in the beauty of our incredible world. In her animal artwork, she invites the viewer to step into their world and to feel the connection to that animal.

The medium of pastel is ideal for depicting wonderfully strong sunlight and shadow which Malia loves to explore.

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Animals and landscapes are what Malia is most passionate about painting, but she also enjoy a variety of other subjects. Her landscapes are from the areas of North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and her native California. She enjoys telling the visual story of old and abandoned structures from her surrounding area, as well.

Because Malia loves working in pastels, she  shares her knowledge through teaching pastel classes. The relaxed classes are focused on experimentation with pastels, surfaces, and basic techniques, as well as encouraging artists to venture into a new medium in a very positive way. 

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Learn more about Malia at

maliabryngelsonart.org

Eric Notheisen has been involved with Photography since the mid-1970s. He started out shooting images while in the US Air Force stations in Korea. He got into medium format while stationed in the Netherlands.

Since 2000 he has been shooting digital images using several different camera systems. His current focus revolves around waterfalls and grist mills. He competes in international exhibitions on a regular basis.

Eric is currently the President of the Charlotte Camera Club. He is also Director of the PSA Nature Division Interclub Competition.

Eric is retired from active employment and lives with his wife, Diane, in Fort Mill, SC.

Learn more about Eric at

notheisen.com

Zan Thompson - Watercolor Artist, Mentor & Observer of Place

Zan Thompson was born into a family of watercolor artists which has greatly influenced his passion and his persistence for watercolor painting. Zan grew up playing and experimenting with art in his parents’ Atlanta studios. 

Today, Zan paints strictly in watercolor, is a signature member of the Watercolor Society of North Carolina and teaches a number of workshops and classes from drawing to painting. He likes to share with his students the little tricks that helped him conquer the difficult medium of watercolor. 

He paints both En Plein-Air and in the studio and always welcomes an audience. He paints in realism, impressionism and abstract.  

"Watercolor paintings celebrating the essence found in our environments from the alluring subjects to the most mundane!" -Zan

Learn more about Zan at

zanthompson.com

Janet Visser, a prize-winning American Painter, simplifies any subject

matter by reducing it to a fundamental and poetic form of line and color. 

There are no blatant messages in her art, but rather, a journey of visual excitement. She creates using acrylics and mixed media in a rhythmic series of freedom and thought. 

Janet's finished abstract compositions are composed of up to ten layers of paint. 

Learn more about Janet at

JanetVisser.com