Doreyl Ammons Cain... Artist & Writer...Born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains of
western North Carolina, Doreyl grew up drawing birds in the dirt of the mountain roads
around her home. Receiving her first art award in third grade, Doreyl won the South
Carolina State Art award for teenagers, a purchase prize at Furman University and an
art scholarship to the University of South Carolina.
Later, in California, while achieving a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts
degree in Biological/Medical Illustration, she garnered more awards, this time in science
as well. She received awards in anatomy, physiology and microbiology, and “The Best in
the West Illustration Award” three years in a row. Her dreams became a reality as she
worked in about every artistic venue-- storyboarding for films, owning her own design
& advertising agency (specializing in logo design) through which she won the Zellerbach
Logo Design Award and other design awards.
During this time she exhibited her works of fine art in group and individual shows
at the Smithsonian Institute, the Pentagon, Air Force Exhibitions in Washington DC,
University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles Museum of Science
and Industry, Long Beach Art Museum, University of California at Irvine and at traveling
art exhibitions in museums and galleries throughout the country.
Since coming home to North Carolina, she cofounded Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, Inc.,
a not-for-profit organization dedicated to honoring the heritage and creativity of all
people. She and her sister, Amy Garza, author and storyteller, have facilitated creativity
workshops and performed (storytelling and spontaneous visual art) for millions of children
and adults in schools and colleges. Doreyl’s spontaneous art murals are being placed in
museums & public places throughout the world. In 2005 she won a place in the Kennedy
Promotions Best of North Carolina Artists & Artisians book series.
Illustrator of many books, Doreyl paints book covers for Ammons Communications and
magazine covers for ‘Fun Things to do in the Mountains.’ Coauthor and illustrator of
“Catch the Spirit of Creativity” and author of her own book called “Greatness in a
Nutshell,” Doreyl’s book’s help people explore their unique creativity and follow
their dream.
Today she and her husband, Jerry Cain, are now creating
koi fish ponds at their nature center called “Nature’s
Home“ where Doreyl teaches pastel painting and
biological illustration.