In her contemporary wood sculptures, Houston-based designer Maria Bordelon uses humble materials, including cage wire and wood veneer. The artist: Bordelon was born in New Orleans, and received a BFA from Louisiana Tech University. After graduation, her interest in fine art and design took her to Houston, where she established an interior design firm and…
Atlanta artist and graphic designer Hannah Hanlon combines her lifelong curiosity for creatures in a clean style she calls contemporary scientific illustration. The artist: Originally from Concord, MA, she grew up taking private art lessons and attending a high school with an excellent arts program. Hanlon attended Boston University to study art and play D1 lacrosse on a…
A self-taught stone sculptor, Alabama’s Brooks Barrow uses old world techniques and traditional tools to make his modern and minimalist pieces. The artist: Barrow grew up Montgomery and Franklin, TN, and later served in the Marines. While living in Wisconsin, after his military stint, Barrow worked in commercial construction. Unsatisfied, he turned to making art…
South Carolina’s Laura Dargan uses fresh color combinations and irregular shapes to create visual energy in her abstract paintings. The artist: Born in Columbia, SC, Dargan grew up painting and drawing. But it wasn’t until after graduation from College of Charleston that she began to focus on art as a career. Dargan opened an art…
Widely known for her metal mesh designs, Alabama’s Sarah Cavender handcrafts high-style jewelry and accessories that are wearable works of art. The company: Sarah Cavender Metalworks is in an historic area of Oxford, AL. The company’s building has production space in the back and upstairs. There is a little shop open to the public. She…
Using traditional glass blowing techniques, Thor and Jennifer Bueno of North Carolina create unique wall compositions with glass pieces that resemble river stones and soap bubbles. The artists: Thor and Jennifer Bueno Thor: Grew up surfing in Southern California and started blowing glass in 1979. He studied with the late Italo Scanga at University of…
From rural barns to water towers, Florida’s Robert Farrell creates sculptural and tabletop objects that elicit an emotional response from the viewer: A memory. A longing. A subtle sadness, or a sense of comfort. The artist: Born in Fort Atkinson, WI, Farrell grew up in Venice, FL, where his mother taught school. He earned undergraduate degrees…
For more than 30 years, Georgia’s Kipley A. Meyer has worked in wood. Originally, the self-taught artist made furniture. But 10 years ago, Meyer turned to wood wall sculpture in a style he calls organic contemporary. The artist: Meyer grew up in Decatur, GA, and attended DeKalb Community College. He first studied music, then business.…
In her abstract paintings, South Carolina’s Katie Walker draws on memories of places and people she has encountered. The artist: Born in Pensacola, Walker grew up in Greenville, SC. She earned an art degree from Furman University and an MFA degree in painting/drawing from the University of Georgia. She also studied and taught in Cortona,…
Clay artist Julie Schnell Madden likes the idea that something you wipe off your shoes can be turned into something exquisite. In her ceramic work, the Virginia artist does just that. The artist: The Toledo native earned an undergraduate degree in ceramics from Ohio University and two masters’ degrees in ceramic and sculpture from Bowling…