Some might say Luis Gonzalez has a plum job. The contemporary Miami artist transforms salvaged hardwoods into oversized sculptures of colorful fruits and vegetables The artist: Gonzalez learned to turn wood when he was 14 years old in his native country, Bogota, Colombia. In 1992, he came to Miami to finish high school and later…
Known for her elaborate staging and dramatic lighting, Knoxville artist Denise Stewart-Sanabria paints hyper realistic fruits and sweet baked goods that at first glance look yummy enough to eat. But often, are suffering from age and trauma. Talk about food for thought. The artist: Stewart-Sanabria was born in Massachusetts and received a degree in painting…
Atlanta’s Trecy Bleich never thought about making jewelry until she wandered into a craft store. Now the self-taught designer’s own architectural and sculptural pieces can be found in museum shops and chic boutiques around the country. The artist: Bleich grew up in Summertown, Ga., and graduated from Savannah State University with a marketing degree. In…
The woodcut novels of Lynd Ward and Frans Masereel, as well as art movements from the 1920s to 1950s, inspired Florida’s Kreg Yingst to pivot from painting to printmaking. The artist: Yingst grew up in Libertyville, Ill. He earned an undergraduate degree in studio art from Trinity University (Texas) and a master’s degree in painting…
Mississippi painter and textile artist Coulter Fussell uses humble materials and an improvisational approach to design, stitching and patterns in her modern traditional quilts. The artist: Fussell was born and raised in Columbus, Ga. Her mother, who taught her to sew, is a master quilter. Her father has been art exhibit curator and consultant. After…
South Carolina’s Dorothy Shain creates contemporary artwork that reflects her love of travel and nature, but also color and pattern. The artist & background: Born in Greenville, SC, Shain graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she majored in studio art with a focus was painting. After college, she briefly worked as a wrangler…
Metalsmithing is rare art, but one that has brought national recognition to Tennessee metal sculptor Ben Caldwell. The artist: Caldwell grew up in Nashville and first trained as a painter and sculptor at Tufts University. After graduation, he furthered his training and studies at Harvard, the New York Studio School and the Boston Museum of…
Lindsay Oesterritter’s simple stoneware pieces are made for everyday use, but they feel and look like something special. The artist: A Louisville native, Oesterritter studied ceramics at the University of Louisville and Utah State University, where she earned a master’s degree in fine arts. The company: Lindsay Oesterritter Ceramics started in Manassas, Va., in 2015.…
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…