Cyla Allison

"Flag and Chair" watercolor

"Almost Mud Season" watercolor

"The Jetty at Long Island Sound" watercolor

Cyla Allison, Ph.D., comes to the visual arts from a lifetime spent in the literary and human science fields. “I’ve always been interested in the visual arts, but never had the time or the supportive atmosphere to develop that interest until I fell in with the Greenbrier Artists.”

“I usually start my paintings with a feeling in mind or an observation about humans and their interaction with their environment. I like the viewer to look at a common scene with new eyes, even surprise. If the viewer pauses, has a flash of feeling before he moves on, I have been successful.”

In addition to her art, Cyla has an interest in Civil War Living History taking an active role in events including the Battle of Lewisburg. As the 2nd WV Cavalry, Cyla together with husband, Eric Stahl, bring their horses and Eric is the bugler. Cyla has organized the Education Day for three years, bringing about 900 West Virginia school children for a day of living history at the New River Technical Community and Technical College.