Singleton

Clayton’s blend of verbal and visual art inspires, motivates, and educates. His use of realist-expressionism is realized through a style that is both academic and freestyle. Clayton has created public art, won numerous awards, and produced several solo and group shows including Walking on Paper at ArtWorks gallery, Recent Works: Art Installation Performance at SONO gallery and Look Beyond at d’ART Center @The Selden, which benefited The Autism Society of Tidewater. The Virginia Opera commissioned Clayton to design sets for Porgy and Bess and Freedom’s Journey. Clayton has served as a member of Norfolk’s AllCity Teaching Team, The d’ART Center Board of Directors and Norfolk Arts Commission. His inspiration comes from everyday living and the lives of everyday people. He says, “the juxtaposition of images and words provides metaphor for the reality of our lives, branching to the possibilities of our dreams.”

Looking back at the work of this year’s featured artists, I saw pieces that were so different. Each artist has such an individual style. They all communicate something beautiful but different and reach out and speak to me in a unique way.

I’m not an art critic, but I think art should communicate a message or thought that is worth exploring. I love this year’s artists because they have an ability to evoke emotions and convey messages that may be difficult to express in words. To me, art has always been a way to escape a rough day, explore new ideas, and find beauty in the world around me. Sometimes art challenges the status quote or provokes discussion. Whatever we see in it, art is an important part of our coastal community. That’s

TESSA HALL Duquette

why we feature a different artist every month in Virginia Connector.

Here in our final issue of 2023, we wanted to again promote the unique local artists that make it happen, in the hope of bringing even more attention to their many talents. If you are interested in purchasing original art at an affordable price, please visit our artist’s websites or Facebook pages. I invite you to look at all their artwork or visit places like the Beach Gallery to see it in person. You might find a unique piece that you want to display in your home.

Here’s wishing our artists and all of you a joyous holiday season.

—Michelle Westberry

Tessa is electrifying the Virginia Beach community one mural at a time. Her background includes a natural artistic ability, an art degree from the University of Vermont, and a love of creativity. From coastal flowers to seashells to oceanfront wildlife, she loves to capture the essence of beach living in order to make her Virginia Beach community that much brighter. When she’s not hard at work painting a new mural, you can find Tessa riding her beach cruiser barefoot down the boardwalk, hosting a neighborhood porch party with her husband, or tie-dyeing with her three sons.