Meet the PWAS Members 2026 Part 2
Introducing the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) Members Part 2. The nonprofit art group meets monthly on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Drive, Woodbridge, VA. Besides updates on upcoming art projects for the art group, our meetings often feature art programs spotlighting area artists displaying and showing their art process, member "show and tell", and occasionally an art project to work on. Miss a meeting and you miss a LOT!
Let's begin meeting this next batch of the area's artist members of PWAS. I asked the group for a short bio paragraph and a photo of themselves...
Members on Today's Post:
Mark Clifton, Isabelle Baulois, Mandy Powell, Robert Dew, David Dillon, Ana Quispe, Staci Blanchard, Richard Tyler, Zee Berrios, and Kwaku Ofori-Yirenkyi (ABSKU)
PWAS Member Mark Clifton
Bio: Mark Clifton is an artist painting in oil and rendering in pencil. Mark is self-taught
and resides in Northern Virginia. Upon retirement as a trumpet instrumentalist with
The United States Army Band, and other musical endeavors, Mark happily
continues his lifelong enchantment with oil painting and sketching. Mark is a
native Virginian with an artistic focus on realistic depictions of the beauty in our
natural surroundings. Contact information: msclifton1@gmail.com
PWAS Member Isabelle Baulois
Bio: Belgian-German artist Isabelle Baulois creates paintings that weave together spirituality, emotion, and lived experience. Having traveled to over 40 countries and spent 13 years in Thailand exploring abstract painting, diverse philosophies, and the language of color, her work now reflects a deeply personal journey of inner silence, cultural encounter, and universal connection. At 53, her art blends technical mastery with a luminous palette inspired by chakras, energy fields, and spiritual traditions. Each canvas becomes a meditation on life’s dualities: silence and sound, softness and strength, individuality and unity, translating her inner world into vibrant visual poetry.
PWAS Member Mandy Powell
Bio: I consider myself a modern impressionist, utilizing vibrant colors and mixed media. Each painting begins with a variety of underpainting techniques to include alcohol ink, mixed media paper, texture, and sometimes oil pastels. After the underpainting sets, I finish my story with oils for a rich finishing layer of depth. The layers of texture invite viewers to see beyond the flat surface of a landscape or portrait. The gold woven into my paintings is a reminder of the beauty and magic found in unexpected places. My inspiration is driven by the colors of nature and emotions of gratitude. I'd like to think each piece I create will give some warmth and brightness to whomever stands in front of it.
PWAS Member Robert Dew (PWAS Plein Air Posse)
Bio: I was born and raised in England. I have enjoyed painting all my life. I left school at 16 with an O level in art and joined the army so didn't get too much painting done over the next 16 years. Came to the USA 36 years ago and worked a hectic job until 4 years ago when I retired and joined PWAS. Now at last, I have time to paint and learn all I have been doing wrong. I was nervous about going outside to paint but the forming of the Plein Air Posse gave me the chance to get out with others to give it a try and I'm glad I did. I encourage everyone to give it a go.
PWAS Member David Dillon (PWAS Plein Air Posse)
Bio: David Dillon is a mainly a watercolor landscape painter. David Dillon describes his approach to watercolor as a loose style leaning toward an abstract rendering of a mood, place or a suggested narrative. One might see in the near future the same style applied to portraits or figurative pieces.
PWAS Member Richard Tyler
Bio: Illustrator Richard B. Tyler was born on April 11, 1982, in Monterey, California. He studied at The Art Institute of Washington, where he received a bachelor’s degree in the fine arts. His work is based on fantasy and science fiction. The sci-fi media of Richard’s youth featured many unique styles, which encouraged him to develop his
own. His artwork is presented in various formats, such as watercolor, acrylic, digital, and mixed media. Richard Tyler’s main goal was to create books for his illustrations, so he self-published art books with a unique compilation of his works, such as “Unknown Dreams and Forces: The Art of Richard B. Tyler," “Unknown Dreams and Forces 2nd Path,” and “Dorian Speaks No Evil.” Richard B. Tyler's Instagram page: https://instagram.com/therbtdesigner
PWAS Member Zee Berrios
Bio: A Virginia resident. Born in Puerto Rico. Raised in New York City and Puerto Rico. Has a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Puerto Rico and a seminar study in Madrid at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Spain. He also holds a Master’s degree in Library Science from the Escuela Graduada de Bibliotecología of the University of Puerto Rico, He is now retired from the US Library of Congress. His art is a representation of his passion for color and social historical characters and issues. In his art he reflects his concern for justice, music, politics as well as his Christian Faith. He mainly works with acrylic on canvas, but also works on watercolors mediums. jzberrios@hotmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ARTEDEZORRI/
PWAS Member Ana Quispe (PWAS President 2026-2027)
Bio: Hello, my name is Ana Quispe, I work to provide services for a diverse community through work, volunteering, and activism. My artwork has had many influences over the years, from color, my varied background, and some of my favorite artists. A part of my background is that I have roots in Central and South America. The media I use are acrylic, watercolor, weaving, and mixed media. I usually do portraits, landscapes, waterscapes, florals, and animals. I'm looking forward to being president of PWAS with talented people. Let's get creative.
PWAS Member Kwaku Ofori-Yirenkyi (ABSKU)
Bio: Kwaku Ofori-Yirenkyi, known as ABSKU, is a Ghanaian American artist based in Virginia, USA. His practice explores themes of migration, identity, and belonging through the lens of the African Diaspora. Raised between Ghanaian traditions and American culture, he creates work that reflects the fluidity and complexity of living within a Third Culture space. ABSKU works across a range of mediums, with a focus on figuration to tell visual stories of memory, heritage, and shared human experience. His art often integrates Adinkra symbols, Ankara cloth patterns, and Pop Culture references, weaving together elements of ancestral knowledge and contemporary expression. This fusion creates bold, graphic narratives that bridge tradition and modernity while highlighting the richness of cultural hybridity. Website: abskuartworks.com Instagram: @absku.koy
PWAS Member Staci Blanchard (PWAS Secretary, Interim 2026)
Bio: Staci started her art journey later in life, through a local military in the arts program that worked with veterans to promote mental health wellness through art therapy. Art became a place Staci could go and put the outside world and all responsibilities on hold. What started as therapy quickly moved through the hobby phase and into a passionate outlet for creativity and personal growth. Staci previously served as Vice President and Representative to the PWC Arts Council.
And MORE...
If you are a NEW member to PWAS, send your bio (short) and pic to the Blog Admin!
If you want to learn the HISTORY of PWAS, see blog post 1 at https://artistryspin.blogspot.com/2021/08/post-1-about-pwas-history-of-prince.html
Remember to See Meet the PWAS Members 2026 Part 1
Look for Part 3 of meeting the Prince William Art Society members coming soon...
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Author: Donna Liguria is the Blogmaster for the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog and Donna's Cave Paintings Blog, and an artist member of the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) in Woodbridge, Virginia. And she takes on the PWAS social media duties as well (help me!) Donna specializes in acrylic painting of landscapes, seascapes, historic locations, animals and many subjects. Visit her Website at DonnaLiguriaArt.com and her Donna's Esty site to shop her art.
Local Art: The Prince William Art Society is a 50+-year-old non-profit art group in PWC for the appreciation of fine art throughout the county and Northern Virginia. Visit us at any of our local art shows or join us for our monthly meetings - held on the 4th Monday of the month at the Tall Oaks Community Center at 12298 Cotton Mill Dr, Woodbridge, VA at 7:30pm (typically, but check the website in case of any changes).
Want to join PWAS? Go to https://www.princewilliamartsociety.com/membership
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