Brie Dodson is a realist painter who seeks to evoke the “unseen eternal” in the subjects she portrays. She paints the Virginia countryside, its open skies, and rural denizens: horses, farm animals, and the birds outside her studio window. She also paints about religious and spiritual subjects. Her work has been featured in Gallery & Studio, The Living Church, Art and Christianity, ManhattanArts, and other publications. She  has been exhibited at various venues in New York City, Washington, D.C., and several states; and her work resides in many private collections.

Brie was born in Texas, moved to the Washington, D.C. area during the Johnson administration, and attended the College of William and Mary. Her family includes her husband, Tom, and four sons.

A former commercial artist, she now paints full-time. Her paintings have been featured in several ECVA exhibitions and presentations, online as well as at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, the Kanuga Conference Center, and the Museum of Biblical Art. She curated the ECVA exhibition "Spirit's Fire" in 2005 and was one of three curators for
the Visual Preludes 2006.

Brie has served as Director of Communications since 2005 and is currently on sabbatical.

Email: bdodson@briedodson.com
Web site: www.briedodson.com

Parish: Trinity Episcopal Church - Upperville, VA

View artwork by Brie Dodson

Jan Neal's background is in traditional mediums, but she now works primarily in digital painting, design and photography due to digital art's immensely creative potential, where the right brain stays energized and creation can keep up with the velocity of ideas. As an advocate for digital art, Jan seeks to show the limitless possibilities of digital art, from abstract to traditional painting techniques, including portrait and digital religious icon.

Jan's work has been featured in Episcopal Life, Morehouse Publishing Christian Planning Calendar, The Apostle, on the ECUSA web site and in an ECVA presentation at the Museum of Biblical Art. Her work will be included at the upcoming ECUSA Visitor's Center and Image Shop in 2007.
She served as curator for the ECVA exhibition "Illustrating The Hours" in 2005 and was one of three curators as well as a contributing artist for Visual Preludes 2006.

Jan earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism at Auburn University (War Eagle!) and attended the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale where she studied advertising art prior to earning her J.D. at Jones Law School.

Jan is a member of NAPP and produces the publicity for her home parish,
Emmanuel, where she also serves as webmaster, in ECW, the Garden and Altar Guilds and heads the Flower Guild. She is currently developing plans for digitizing Emmanuel's historical documents and will chair planning for the parish's 150th anniversary.

Liturgical history and symbol are her primary areas of ecclesiastical artistic interests inspired by a deep respect for the historical Anglican aesthetic. She also enjoys the study of gardening and plant history, Southern history and culture, and collects hydrangea and antique roses, considering gardening to be another form of visual design.

Jan is a partner in the law firm of Davis & Neal with offices in Opelika, Montgomery, Dothan and Mobile, Alabama.

Email: jboydneal@charter.net
Web site: http://digitalartadvocate.squarespace.com/

Parish: Emmanuel Episcopal Church - Opelika, AL

View artwork by Jan Neal

Email: illumination@earthlink.net
Web site: www.illuminationstudio.org

Mel Ahlborn specializes in manuscript illumination and is a frequent lecturer on the history and production techniques of illuminated manuscripts. Her fine art exhibitions include the Washington National Cathedral, The Getty Center, the British Library, Oxford College, and the Palace of the Legion of Honor.

Ahlborn is an elected Fellow of the Center for Arts, Religion and Education (CARE) at The Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, teaching Studio Arts courses in Manuscript Illumination and Visual Preaching. She has interwoven arts, spirituality and religion throughout her career, serving as a consultant to museums, film companies, and academic institutions.

Mrs. Ahlborn holds a double B.S. degree in Chemistry and Classics from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. She resides with her husband, Paul, and their two children, in Moraga, California.

Parish: St Stephen’s Episcopal Church - Orinda, CA