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,…
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…