Donald Sykes Lewis Jr. Art in the Family

Blue Cheese by Donald S. Lewis Jr.

Every now and then you just get the urge to brag.  Donald S. Lewis is my younger brother, and a very good artist.  We grew up in Norfolk Va. in a family that encouraged the arts.  My Father and Mother both trained when I was little as portrait painters.  Dad started out in the adding machine business, but was an advid collector of paintings which he stored in my grandmother's attic.  He loaded up the attic until one day, she declared that if he didn't get them out her ceiling was going to fall in.  This thrust my father into the art business head first.  Norfolk Va. was not know for being able to support Art galleries.  But in our family, you never say never.  I was eight years old and my brother four years old.  We spent several summers helping my Mother run the Gallery, Auslew, while dad worked to make enough money for us to live.

Thus we grew up surrounded by art and artists.  In order to entertain us my Mother encouraged us to draw and paint from an early age.  She would have contest and of course we both won.  We went to museums and were constantly exposed to art through the Gallery.  We met many working artist and grew to appreciate their work.  Dad also painted in his spare time, and he restored oil paintings.

Painting of Wroton Island By Donald S. Lewis Jr.

Don went to Randolph-Macon College for his BA and received his Masters from the University of VA.  Here he met Elliott Clarke.  He later worked for my Father at Auslew Gallery Where he did restoration of art for the Gallery.  He has written about Herman Herzog for the Brandywine Museum and about Elliott Clarke, he is consitered the authority on both Artist.

Willows on Jackson Creek by Donald S. Lewis Jr.

Don kept after me to resume my painting after having my three boys.  I owe him a lot for making me resume my painting.   We both have been painting professionally for over 3o years.  Don has been painting full time for the last fifteen years.  I have to find time to paint.  We both draw a lot of satisfaction from our work.  I have to admire my younger brother for his devotion to his work and to the wide range of his work.

He currently divides his time between his home in Virginia Beach Va. and his Cottage on the side of a Mountain in Highland County Va. Near Monterey Va.

The Northern Neck an Artist Colony

I talked about how the Northern Neck of Virginia is a Manhattan in Mayberry. We have become an artistic center. People up and down the east coast are drawn to the area because the pace is slower and the pressure is off. One can have a clear mind to create.
We have writers and musicians and all sorts of media artist. Yesterday an art associate of my brother and mine came into the shop. Over 20 years ago we were all in a show at the twentieth century Gallery in Williamsburg Va.. Dorothy Fagan has continued her artistic endeavors over all these years. Both she and her husband make their living on their art.

My brother Donald S. Lewis Jr. shows some of his work at our shop. He gets some of his inspirations here as well as Va. Beach and Highland County Va.

Bradley Stephens Our local Folk artist lives in Irvington Va.. He collects folk art and creates his own art. He also is a Playwright.
Lewis and I are artist, as well, when we have the time to paint. The two paintings of fruit are mine. Some times during the slower months we'll actually create in the shop. Maybe that's one reason that we have trouble keeping the shop neat. Creative minds are rarely neat, too many fun ideas roll around in our heads. Oh well, who wants to be boring!

There are people in the area that make their own furniture like my son Chris Trimble, who makes tables and restores furniture and Bill Jenkins, who made many of the windsor chairs that were in the John Adams Movie. There are many others in the area as well.

In the shop next door is the Rappahanock Art League here you will find art displayed by an assortment of local artist. This gives people a chance to practice their art and to sell it.

Across the street from our shop is Amos & Randolph gallery.