Resident Carol Sennott Dabbles in Painting, Photography, Quilting, Pottery and More
Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury Resident Carol Sennott’s artwork is eclectic and varied as she experiments with painting, photography, quilting, pottery, jewelry making and more. She began her artistic journey at her mother’s knee.
“She taught me to sew on the treadle machine when I couldn’t even reach the pedal,” she said. “My mother made jewelry, she painted, crocheted, sewed…”
Following in her mother’s footsteps, Sennott says she dabbles in everything. In fact, her license plate is “Dabblin.” The RWC resident’s work will be on display in RWC’s Gallery Hall and in the display case in the atrium throughout the month of April.
While enjoying a rewarding 32-year-career working for the Federal government in the Northern Virginia area, Sennott and her husband, Tom, bought a commercial property on Main Street in Kilmarnock that is now home to Front Porch Coffee House. Tom worked in commercial real estate, so the building became their second home and his office.
Once retired, the couple moved to a waterfront home on Black Stump Road in Weems where Sennott had a potter’s wheel and kiln. They later downsized to a Hills Quarter home in Irvington.
“When we were ready to move into a retirement community, we looked at CCRC’s (Continuing Care Retirement Communities) all over the country,” Sennott said. “But we finally said, our friends, our doctors and our church are here. We’ve been here for 20 years. Why uproot?”
The couple have immersed themselves in RWC and community activities. Sennott loves seated volleyball, seated yoga, line dancing, cardio drumming and swimming. Tom enjoys Tai Chi, cornhole and golf.
“I’ve also taken numerous art classes,” Sennott said. “We’ve created fabric paintings, epoxy projects, mugs and pins. We used shards of glass to make Christmas trees on canvas.”
Sennott says her art show will be “quite a different display.”
“I can’t seem to focus on just one thing,” she said. “I’ll have photos on canvas, some paintings and in the display case – jewelry, fused dichroic glass, and pottery. Along the hallway, there will be seven or eight small quilts.”
Don’t expect to see traditional quilts.
“My quilts are contemporary,” Sennott said. “I’m not much to be in a box. I have to be excited about what I’m doing!”
Residents and community members are invited to view Sennott’s art exhibition from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily throughout April at Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury, 132 Lancaster Dr. in Irvington.