Originally from New Orleans, Deborah Gabriel Umphrey obtained a bachelor’s degree in English at the University of New Orleans. Later, after moving to Orlando, she earned a master’s in art education from the University of Central Florida and taught for several years in Seminole County schools, including Lake Brantley High School, as well as teaching drawing and painting to youth at the Casselberry Art House. Umphrey further developed herself as an artist through Crealdé School of Art’s Fellowship Program and was a Painting & Drawing Studio Artist in 2015. A Crealdé faculty member since 2022, she teaches both adult and youth classes and gives workshops at Crealdé. She is also a member of the Central Florida Watercolor Society and continues to exhibit her work at local galleries. 

Fontaine Rodgers attended the Maryland Institute, College of Art and the California College of Art (cum laude). Her personal art has always reflected her love of nature, landscapes, flora and fauna, especially birds and horses. She delights in printmaking, creating linocuts and woodblocks that are often amusing or whimsical. Her passion has always been drawing, which is the foundation for all her art. Her art can found at several Florida galleries and in private and public collections here and abroad. Rogers joined the Crealdé faculty in 2022.

Chris Casler is a live-action, architectural, advertising and editorial photographer based in Orlando. He studied view-camera and darkroom technique with Ansel Adams and Marie Cosindas, and he has photographed architecture and fine art for museums including the Smithsonian and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Since the 1970s, his work has appeared in Architectural Digest, Time and Rolling Stone. Casler works on photography assignments and motion picture projects across the country and in Europe. He served for two years as president of the Greater Florida Chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers.

Prayong Deeying Received his BFA at Fine Art University, Thailand and his Master’s Degree in Painting from Northwestern State University, Louisiana. He taught art for 13 years and was employed for 20 years at Walt Disney World as a Senior Artist Prep.

An American contemporary jewelry designer, painter and creative teacher, Anita Cohen has been a long-time member of the Crealdé community as a Fellowship Artist and Painting and Drawing Program and Young Artist Program faculty member.  Having grown up in the boroughs outside New York City, she studied teaching at Queens College and art at Adelphi University, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree.  She relocated to the mountains of western Virginia and then to Central Florida where she earned her certification as an elementary through high-school art teacher.  Cohen has been teaching and inspiring youth to create and find their own art path for over 20 years, all the while continuing to explore new techniques and perfect her craft and produce ongoing commissioned work.  As an educator, Cohen seeks to continually expand herself as an artist, learning copper repoussé, printmaking, acrylic and watercolor, and has been certified in Precious Metal Clay (PMC), Level II.  Her awards and acknowledgments include being a featured artist in Orlando Magazine and Florida International Magazine, receiving the Crealdé School of Art Board of Director’s Purchase Award for the Juried Student Exhibition, and receiving “Artist of the Month” for North Orange Library in Orlando.

A new member to the Painting & Drawing faculty, Gary Rupp first studied Studio Art and Plein Air painting at Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL. Over ten years ago he started working in pastels and has been instructed by Terri Ford, Albert Handell, Maggie Price, Doug Dawson and Michael Chesley Johnson. Gary is the current President of the Appalachian Pastel Society (APS) and has recently been awarded Signature Member status of APS.

In December 2017, Gary was very grateful to be selected by The Pastel Journal as one of seven international artists to watch in the coming year. His paintings have been shown in juried international exhibitions at The Salmagundi Club in New York City; The Bascom in Highlands, NC; The Cornwall Center in Charlotte, NC and the International Association of Pastel Societies in Albuquerque, NM. He was recently invited as one of thirteen Florida landscape artists to participate in an exhibition entitled “Fabulous Florida” held at the Ocean Gallery in Flagler Beach, FL.

Since moving to Orlando in 1983, Sadler has dedicated his efforts toward capturing the light, color, and mood of the Central Florida landscape. The intense light, combined with the natural beauty of the many lakes, rivers, and parks of the area provide a never-ending source of inspiration. His paintings come to life as a celebration of this beauty found in nature, sometimes exuberant, at other times more subtle. Receiving his BFA at Auburn University, Sadler’s education included the study of oil painting that he considers of utmost value with instructor Jack Dempsey at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He also attended the School of Visual Arts in New York. Since that time he has studied the work of a variety of artists that have had different influences on his work. Sadler feels a pressing desire and necessity to paint each day. He feels that the door is just opening to the world of revealing all that is possible for him through his artwork.

A national award winning artist and graduate of Ringling School of Art and Design, Patti Shistle’s still lifes, landscapes and commissioned portraits capture the profound character and essence of her subjects. Her paintings are collected internationally and are in numerous public and private collections.  Her awards include: The Catherine Lorillard Wolf Art Club, New York, Salon International, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX, Allied Artist of America New York, Oil Painters of America and Watson Guptill Publication Award, Academic Art Association.  Patricia continues her studies with modern masters and loves teaching as a form of learning. Her workshops have been presented to the Disney Imagineers, Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Northlight Gallery, Kennebunkport, MA, and many others.  Her work is represented by The Gallery in New Castle, Brunswick, GA.  She has been a Crealdé faculty member since 2020.