Florida’s Eric Shupe is happy to take your everyday flatware and turn it into a fantastic, one-of-a kind sculpture. The artist: Born in Baltimore, Shupe traveled across the country with his father living in unique environments, like a treehouse in redwood forests and a tiki hut in Hawaii, before they settled down near Gainesville, Fla.…
Coastal excursions and walks on the beach helped inspire ceramic artist Heather Knight to make modern pieces you want to reach out and touch. The artist: Born in Houston, Knight grew up in various cities throughout the South. She attended the College of Charleston and later earned a degree in ceramics from the University of…
Trés Taylor is starting what he calls the Revolution of Joy! To spread the joy the self-taught artist uses pops of color and playful imagery in his tarpaper paintings. The business: Trés Taylor Works on Tarpaper started in 2002 in Birmingham. The business, including the artist and his manager-wife Helene, will relocate later this year to Taylor’s…
As Army wives, Lisa Bradley and Cameron Cruse know how difficult it is to pursue a career or find work, given the transient nature and uncertainty of military life. To help, they started R. Riveter, which produces stylish and sturdy handbags made by a team of military spouses and supporters throughout the country. The business:…
Baskets bring a simple warmth and beauty into a home. Especially the one-of-kind sculptural baskets by North Carolina’s Matt Tommey. The artist: Originally from Columbus, Ga., Tommey grew up loving the outdoors and was a part of the Boy Scouts and Order of the Arrow as a teenager. While working at the college bookstore at UGA,…
Brian Noyes worked for years as an art director of several national publications. But he gave it up for a sweeter deal. The owner & baker: Noyes graduated from California State University at Fullerton and worked as an art director for several national magazines, including Smithsonian and House & Garden, and at The Washington Post.…
When Texas brothers Blake and Bryce Leggett graduated from college, the economy was in turmoil. Faced with the uncertain job market, the new grads and avid outdoorsmen, struck out on their own. The company: The White Wing Label started in 2010. Based in Eden, Texas, the small company makes rugged yet refined luggage and accessories…
Birmingham-based Alabama Sawyer transforms fallen trees and reclaimed materials into modern tables and home accessories. The company: Alabama Sawyer, founded in Birmingham in 2015, makes furniture, including solid wood tabletops, made to specifications as well as other goods from urban timber. The owners: Cliff and Leigh Spencer. Cliff, an Alabama native who graduated from Rhodes…
In his colorful, cubist-style work, Florida artist Andy Saczynski uses humble materials, such as house paint, found objects and reclaimed wood. The artist: Growing up near Destin, Saczynski knew in the third grade that he wanted to be an artist. He attended Northwest Florida State College on a fine arts scholarship and worked at a…
When Jennifer J. Matchett couldn’t find a pair of tortoiseshell earrings that suited her, Matchett first designed some for herself. Then launched a modern, eco-chic jewelry line. The designer: Matchett, originally from Maine, grew up in south Florida and graduated with an art history degree from Santa Fe College. She started making earrings using acetate…