A Collection of Dreams
Welcome to “A Collection of Dreams,” an exploration of artistic innovation and diversity. This exhibition brings together a dynamic group of nine artists whose work transcends traditional boundaries, showcasing a rich tapestry of mediums including painting, photography, quilting, clay, wood, glass, and art lamps.
Each piece in this exhibit represents a unique dialogue between material and imagination. Vibrant paintings ranging in style from representational to abstract evoke emotional landscapes. While, manipulated photography challenges perceptions, and quilting surprises with layered textures and unconventional techniques. Forms in wood and clay tell the stories of tactile fine craftsmanship and natural beauty, whereas the glass offers a delicate interplay of line and color. Completing the experience, our art lamps illuminate the space with functional artistry, blending design and utility in captivating ways.
“A Collection of Dreams” celebrates artistic expression, inviting you to engage with each medium’s distinct language and the collective narrative they create. As you wander through this exhibit, we encourage you to embrace the varied textures, forms, and ideas, finding inspiration in the myriad ways these artists shape their visions into tangible form.
The Nine Artist Bios & Statements
Ann Ramsden
I have been immersed in photography for nearly 40 years, showcasing my work in exhibits and galleries. My journey began at an early age with a Kodak Instamatic camera. Before long, I was in the darkroom where I witnessed images emerge and come to life. My introduction to infrared film captivated me with its soft, ethereal qualities. As the medium evolved from film to digital, I explored various editing tools to enhance my work. Through my work, I invite viewers to see the extraordinary within the ordinary, encouraging them to find joy in the small miracles that surround us.
Bill Paine
Originally from Tennessee, Bill Paine has lived in Florida since the 1970s. Over
the years, he worked in a wide variety of vocations: motorcycle mechanic, custom bike builder,
meditation instructor, retail in a medium-sized motorcycle shop, touring musician, programmer and IT
Director. He received a bachelor of science degree from University of Florida, in computer and
information sciences, and spent over 20 years in the information technology field, before retiring from
full-time work as IT director at the Florida Museum of Natural History, in 2016.
Creativity has been a common thread through all of his “day jobs.” Paine’s first exploration of artistic
expression began in the 1970s through leather work, building custom motorcycles and making music.
In 2014, he began a new phase of exploring and creating visual art, and since retiring, has devoted
more time and energy to this and other expressions of his muse, primarily one-of-a-kind found-object
art lamps as well as explorations in digital abstract art and photography, while continuing to make
and write music.
Candace McCaffery
I have been exploring fiber art, specifically art quilts, for the past 40 years. I am most interested in color and pattern and the infinite ways that they are able to interact. Our natural world is a great source of inspiration. I use a variety of surface design techniques to transform white cotton fabric into something more. Printing, resist dyeing, overdyeing, discharging, embellishment with oil sticks and painting are a few of the ways I create fabric. I also use commercially produced fabrics to enhance my original designs. I enjoy creating designs using botanical motifs, abstract or geometric themes. My artistic desire is to achieve an aesthetic balance through the use of pattern, texture and color. One idea suggests another as designs progress.
Chris Tatum
Mr. Chris Tatum, a seasoned artisan with over three decades of experience in crafting fine furniture and cabinetry, has dedicated his life to the mastery of woodworking. Originally from Miami, Florida, he relocated to Gainesville, Florida in 1978, where he honed his skills and reinvented his art form to focus on the intricate art of wood turning.
Mr. Tatum’s expertise lies in shaping forms on a lathe, transforming discarded materials into functional and sculptural objects of remarkable beauty. Drawing upon his boundless imagination, he meticulously creates works of art that not only serve practical purposes but also captivate the senses and provoke profound contemplation.
Hoyt Childers
Artist statements have always been a bit of a conundrum for me; when I write one and come back to it a year or two later, it is always out of date. I am always chasing the elusive spark of inspired, completely focused creative experience, and the work that experience produces. Sometimes the spark comes out of my head, more often something that happens when I am working on the potter’s wheel, or, just as likely, something that comes out of the kiln — sometimes exactly what I had in mind, sometimes something completely unexpected. The work here represents that work dynamic over a period of years, some pieces my favorites from a couple years back, some brand new.
Jacqualyne Collett
Jacquelyne Collett’s journey into the world of kiln-formed glass is both unique and inspiring. Beginning her career in the early ‘80s, she entered a field that was relatively uncharted at the time. Although she initially chose practical paths in psychology and nursing during her studies at the University of Florida, she maintained a passion for art, pursuing independent study in glass design alongside graduate students. Her educational journey continued with classes at art institutions like Penland School of Art and Crafts, Arrowmont School of Art, and the New Orleans School of Glass and Printmaking. Collett’s work has garnered international recognition, with exhibitions in Japan and extensive showings throughout the United States. Her pieces are featured in both private and corporate collections across the globe. In her creative process, Collett describes her approach as one of exploration rather than fixed intention. She utilizes glass threads, hand-pulled over a torch and shaped through heat, to create her art. This technique allows for spontaneous creation, with little thought of the outcome. The minimal use of color in her work is intentional; the subtle interaction of colors due to the oxides in the glass adds a reactive, border-like quality to her pieces. Collett’s inspiration draws from fundamental design elements—line, tone, shape, and texture. Her background as a designer influences her artistic practice, where she finds deep satisfaction in the subtleties of line and the overall visual composition.
Karen LeMonnier
My paintings are my portrayal of nature’s beauty. Through enhanced colors and energetic brushstrokes, I am moved by the energy flow that expresses that particular time and place. Nature is my endless inspiration.
Linda Pence
I began my formal study of art at Philadelphia College of Art while still in High School and continued with three years of printmaking and oil painting at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. I attended painting and figure drawing classes at the Art Students League and at Cooper Union in NYC. I studied and taught meditation techniques and programs for self-awareness with The Arica Institute.
I lived in the NY metropolitan area all my life until 1997, when I moved to Gainesville, Florida.. In Gainesville I volunteered as the GFAA Workshop Program coordinator and brought well known painting instructors to Gainesville to offer workshops. I retired from teaching water media painting classes after 20 years. I have been an active member of the Gainesville Artisans’ Guild since 1997.
Mandy Macias
Born in Cuba, Mandy came to the United States in 1960. Her subject matter ranges from realistic to abstract and her colorful paintings are a reflection of her state of mind and spirit at a given time. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and exhibits her works at home and abroad. “For the most part, I try to start a painting with not only a blank canvas, but also a blank mind. I enjoy pushing myself out of the box by experimenting with different types of media and techniques.”
Her love for texture was instrumental in developing of a new technique that introduces an array of natural fibers to acrylic paint, giving her latest works an intriguing three dimensional look.