Having always been interested in art, Lynne Waters Griffey truly found her passion for art in high school. Subsequently, she earned a Bachelor of Art in art education and English and a Master of Education from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee, and is licensed in color therapy as well. She began her career as an educator in 1973 and has remained closely connected to the students she taught, particularly those from her 1976 graduating class. In 2007, after 30 years as an art educator, Ms. Griffey decided to retire to focus on her art full time with her private studio, Lynne Griffey Art, where she works creating paintings, portraits and prints, both independently and on commission.
Among her various works, Ms. Griffey provided the illustrations for two books written by others, in addition to her own book, “Stillness of Spirit: Reflections by Lynne Waters,” which was published in 2016. She is also closely involved with Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature, an organization that was started by a former student of hers, Kitty Harvill. Through this group, artists work alongside scientists to raise awareness about threatened and endangered species and conservation efforts by pairing artworks with research into the species represented. Currently, Ms. Griffey has an ongoing exhibit of her work in a group exhibition at the East London Museum in Cape Town, South Africa, and another solo exhibit at the Wade Bourne Nature Center was held in 2022.
In order to keep abreast of developments in her field, Ms. Griffey is a member of the Tennessee Watercolor Society, PEO International and the Tennessee Retired Teachers’ Association. Although she has stopped teaching in schools, she remains active as a tutor for students in English, reading and art, and has involved herself with Gold Star Families, Chi Omega Alumni and multiple community endeavors. Ms. Griffey has also notably donated a number of her artworks to Rotary International and the American Cancer Society.
In a life full of achievements, Ms. Griffey is proud to have become an internationally recognized, award-winning artist who has made a difference in her community and the world at large. Notably, she was interviewed on national radio by Kate Delaney, about the publication of her book, “Stillness of Spirit.” Furthermore, as she looks back on her career in education, she notes that she is immensely gratified to have made an impact on the thousands of children who passed through her classroom over her three decades as a teacher. Ms. Griffey also takes great joy in her personal accomplishments, which include raising three successful children, reaching her 70th birthday, and surviving the various trials and tribulations life has thrown at her.
Attributing much of her success to her perseverance, Ms. Griffey has become very self-assured about who she is and why she is here. As she looks toward the future, she hopes to continue progressing and growing in her artistic abilities to become the artist she believes God intended her to be. Her ultimate goal is for her art to invoke comfort, hope, and peace in the viewer. Ms. Griffey follows the personal motto: “May you experience all the miracles planned for you, and maybe you can be a miracle for someone else.”
