Renee W. Stramel grew up outside of Washington D.C. “From the architecture, to the culture and museums, I was overwhelmed by the beauty. Art was everywhere!”  Renee’s work reflects her varied interests in painting, garden design and photography.  “It’s all about discovery for me.”  Artistic pursuits brought her to Richmond, Virginia and the School of Art at Virginia Commonwealth University where she fell in love with this historic city and its great people. “Richmond has such a palpable sense of history, you can feel it walking down every street and the people here are so great- I find it all so inspiring.” Renee continues to live and create in Richmond where she and her filmmaker husband share a home with their dog and very demanding cat. “When not painting, you can find me putting around the garden most weekends- It’s my favorite place to be!”