Executive Director
Bridget Hanley is a lifelong artist, as well as a retired horse trainer who had her own farm.
She paints in a variety of media and also is a calligrapher. She is one of Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon's popular teachers.
Bridget also runs a picture-framing business from her studio alongside Lake Rousseau.
She has her own website: www.bridgethanleystudio.com and is on Facebook and Instagram.
She paints in a variety of media and also is a calligrapher. She is one of Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon's popular teachers.
Bridget also runs a picture-framing business from her studio alongside Lake Rousseau.
She has her own website: www.bridgethanleystudio.com and is on Facebook and Instagram.
Meet Our Board
President
Amy Peters Wood
Amy Peters Wood says she has never taken the easy route. She always wanted to be a veterinarian, to understand the inside of an animal down to the tiniest atom, but she had a huge handicap. She could paint and draw, but numbers danced and spun in her head, twisting into tight knots.
Some people suggested she would never get into veterinary school because of her aversion to math, so she studied art and scientific illustration and practiced filling out applications to veterinary school. To everyone’s amazement, she was admitted to veterinary school, graduated, and was a successful veterinarian for many years in Maine.
But painting and differing points of view kept her awake at night, and she started to feel a void in life, which led to her helping her husband build a wooden boat in the barn behind the house. Ten years later, she packed her paints, and the couple left for a three-year global circumnavigation. Paintings were used as currency, and egg tempera became her preferred medium.
When the couple returned, they sold the boat and bought the parts to make an amphibious floatplane. Amy started painting full time and won art fellowships, federal percent for art commissions, and first prizes in many local art shows in New England, where she still is represented by several galleries.
The couple discovered Dunnellon years ago while caring for Amy’s husband's parents. Falling in love with the Florida springs, horse farms, and wildlife in this area, the couple bought a small house on Lake Rousseau. Amy joined Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon, and through her art, she actively tries to preserve the rural character of this special place in the world.
Her website is: amypeterswood.com; her email is: amypeterswood@gmail.com. Instagram is: #apwoodart.
Some people suggested she would never get into veterinary school because of her aversion to math, so she studied art and scientific illustration and practiced filling out applications to veterinary school. To everyone’s amazement, she was admitted to veterinary school, graduated, and was a successful veterinarian for many years in Maine.
But painting and differing points of view kept her awake at night, and she started to feel a void in life, which led to her helping her husband build a wooden boat in the barn behind the house. Ten years later, she packed her paints, and the couple left for a three-year global circumnavigation. Paintings were used as currency, and egg tempera became her preferred medium.
When the couple returned, they sold the boat and bought the parts to make an amphibious floatplane. Amy started painting full time and won art fellowships, federal percent for art commissions, and first prizes in many local art shows in New England, where she still is represented by several galleries.
The couple discovered Dunnellon years ago while caring for Amy’s husband's parents. Falling in love with the Florida springs, horse farms, and wildlife in this area, the couple bought a small house on Lake Rousseau. Amy joined Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon, and through her art, she actively tries to preserve the rural character of this special place in the world.
Her website is: amypeterswood.com; her email is: amypeterswood@gmail.com. Instagram is: #apwoodart.
Vice President
Linda Reitz
Linda is a self-taught artist, originally from a small town in New York. Since she was very young, she has been drawing and painting in acrylics and oils.
Her husband and she had a wood shop, where they made pull toys and carousel horses from exotic woods, gaining some notoriety by exhibiting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as the Burchfield Center and other venues in Western New York.
She now lives in Ocala. Sunscapes, waterscapes, fish, mammals, and fantasy creatures have been her inspiration. Horses have always been in her life, so she has started a new series of these magnificent creatures.
Fluid acrylics and resin art have been obsessions the last three years. These have become the inspiration for the backgrounds of her realistic paintings, creating what she describes as "Organic Art." Many of these pieces have gold leafing, crystals, or glitter incorporated in them.
Some of these pieces function as coasters, clocks, and turntables. She is hoping this art form is loved by others as much as she loves creating it.
She gives lessons in acrylic painting and fluid art.
Her husband and she had a wood shop, where they made pull toys and carousel horses from exotic woods, gaining some notoriety by exhibiting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as the Burchfield Center and other venues in Western New York.
She now lives in Ocala. Sunscapes, waterscapes, fish, mammals, and fantasy creatures have been her inspiration. Horses have always been in her life, so she has started a new series of these magnificent creatures.
Fluid acrylics and resin art have been obsessions the last three years. These have become the inspiration for the backgrounds of her realistic paintings, creating what she describes as "Organic Art." Many of these pieces have gold leafing, crystals, or glitter incorporated in them.
Some of these pieces function as coasters, clocks, and turntables. She is hoping this art form is loved by others as much as she loves creating it.
She gives lessons in acrylic painting and fluid art.
Secretary
Jan Vermilya
Jan Vermilya has been expressing herself creatively since early childhood. She pursued a medical career, but art has been her avocation.
She started with Sumi-e (Oriental brush painting with hand-ground inks and rice paper) and transitioned to Western-style watercolors. She showed and sold her work throughout Virginia and North Carolina before moving to Florida.
Now retired, she feels that “fun” is a workshop or a painting session either indoors or “en plein aire” with friends.
These days, she’s painting using acrylics or water-soluble oil paints on canvas, as well as watercolors on paper or canvas. She’s also exploring soft pastels on sanded paper.
Her works run from 2” by 3” miniatures to 20” by 24” works (unframed).
She’s a member, by invitation, of three international miniature society competitions in Washington, D.C.; Dunedin, Fla.; and Paola, Kan.
She consistently has won awards from the Miniature Painters, Sculptors, and Gravers Society of Washington, D.C.; and in the Miniature Art Society of Florida’s annual exhibits.
She loves commission assignments and will paint on anything that doesn’t run away, including furniture, statuary, tiles, and wall murals. Pet portraits are a specialty.
She is affiliated with the Brick City Gallery in Ocala, the Dunedin Fine Arts Center, the Leepa-Ratner Museum of Art in Dunedin, and the Miami County Historical Museum in Paola, Kan.
Jan invites you to visit her Facebook page.
She feels her pieces reflect her love of humanity and nature, and she hopes you are touched in some way by her art.
She started with Sumi-e (Oriental brush painting with hand-ground inks and rice paper) and transitioned to Western-style watercolors. She showed and sold her work throughout Virginia and North Carolina before moving to Florida.
Now retired, she feels that “fun” is a workshop or a painting session either indoors or “en plein aire” with friends.
These days, she’s painting using acrylics or water-soluble oil paints on canvas, as well as watercolors on paper or canvas. She’s also exploring soft pastels on sanded paper.
Her works run from 2” by 3” miniatures to 20” by 24” works (unframed).
She’s a member, by invitation, of three international miniature society competitions in Washington, D.C.; Dunedin, Fla.; and Paola, Kan.
She consistently has won awards from the Miniature Painters, Sculptors, and Gravers Society of Washington, D.C.; and in the Miniature Art Society of Florida’s annual exhibits.
She loves commission assignments and will paint on anything that doesn’t run away, including furniture, statuary, tiles, and wall murals. Pet portraits are a specialty.
She is affiliated with the Brick City Gallery in Ocala, the Dunedin Fine Arts Center, the Leepa-Ratner Museum of Art in Dunedin, and the Miami County Historical Museum in Paola, Kan.
Jan invites you to visit her Facebook page.
She feels her pieces reflect her love of humanity and nature, and she hopes you are touched in some way by her art.
Director of Communication
Kathy Sage
Kathy has been painting full time since 2014. After 23 years in the military and 35 years in sales and sales management, she is on an art journey in her retirement years. She likes to believe she has been taking lessons and learning from some of the best. She picked up a brush full time and began to really study painting in 2014.
She finds inspiration all around her. She loves painting magical moments, and she paints from her heart. She started her painting journey with watercolors, moved into enamel and acrylic paints, and recently has been enjoying batik painting and painting with wine ... yes, the wine you drink. Every medium is a learning lesson.
She was blessed to reside in the Florida Keys, so she was inspired a lot. Her work can be found in several galleries, like Guild Hall Gallery, Key West; Artists in Paradise, Big Pine Key; Gilded Matilda's, Wildwood; and now, here at Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon. Her husband and she are building a home in Inverness and reside with their two fur babies, both golden retrievers. They are Buddy, and Charlotte, AKA Charlie. They have two grown children and five grandchildren. Kathy and her husband love to travel with their fifth wheel RV, going to visit art-inspiring locations.
She finds inspiration all around her. She loves painting magical moments, and she paints from her heart. She started her painting journey with watercolors, moved into enamel and acrylic paints, and recently has been enjoying batik painting and painting with wine ... yes, the wine you drink. Every medium is a learning lesson.
She was blessed to reside in the Florida Keys, so she was inspired a lot. Her work can be found in several galleries, like Guild Hall Gallery, Key West; Artists in Paradise, Big Pine Key; Gilded Matilda's, Wildwood; and now, here at Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon. Her husband and she are building a home in Inverness and reside with their two fur babies, both golden retrievers. They are Buddy, and Charlotte, AKA Charlie. They have two grown children and five grandchildren. Kathy and her husband love to travel with their fifth wheel RV, going to visit art-inspiring locations.
Director of Education
Erin Sorensen
Fascination with the Rainbow River and other area springs brought Erin E. Sorensen to Dunnellon. She is a swimmer and nature lover. She has worked as an art educator, as well as internationally as a professional artist and designer. For over 30 years, she has worked in many art media.
She often works large scale on murals and mosaics, as well as on smaller, studio works, inspired by nature and the human experience. She also offers handmade natural gemstone creations from her Soulstone Adornment collection.
She believes people should adorn their body temples with nature’s grace.
She often works large scale on murals and mosaics, as well as on smaller, studio works, inspired by nature and the human experience. She also offers handmade natural gemstone creations from her Soulstone Adornment collection.
She believes people should adorn their body temples with nature’s grace.