Using silhouetted forms of leaves, flowers and other plants, Mississippi artist Carlyle Wolfe Lee marks time and seasonal changes in her abstract and representational paintings. The artist: Born in Gainesville, FL, she grew up in Canton, MS. She earned a BFA in painting from the University of Mississippi and a master’s degree in painting and…
From her popular ceramic wall pods to her sculptural tree totems, Alice Ballard’s work is always about nature. The artist: Born in Florence, SC, Ballard grew up in an Air Force family and lived all over the world. She earned degrees in painting at the University of Michigan, working as a scientific illustrator to put…
Self-taught artist Jennifer Zurick uses the flexible inner bark of black willow trees to create her elegant woven vessels. The artist: Zurick was born in Lexington and grew up in the rural Bluegrass area of Kentucky. Based in Berea, she has been professionally producing willow bark baskets since 1980. The goods: Finely woven, textile-like vessels…
Georgia’s Krista Grecco mixes the “sweet and sour” memories and moments of life in her ceramic art. Everything from expressive figures and animals to color-happy candy bugs. The artist: A fraternal twin, Grecco was born and raised in Massachusetts. But undergrad school in New York, graduate school at Ohio State, and artist residencies and teaching have…
From the cockpit of her family’s vintage plane, Mary Edna Fraser was awed by aerial views of the Lowcountry waterways and landscapes she saw. The experience inspired the South Carolina artist to recreate the landscapes in batik art and paintings. The studio: Fraser works out of a backyard studio on James Island Creek, just south…
In her one-of-kind botanical compositions, Virginia’s Anne Blackwell Thompson brings the outdoors in. The artist: Born in Greenville, SC., Thompson grew up in Texas. She graduated from Texas A & M, trained in studio art and art history in London and worked as a decorative painter. In 2009, she apprenticed under botanical artist Stuart Thornton…
In her sculptural glass work, North Carolina artist Amber Marshall focuses on fresh colors and forms that seem effortlessly elegant. The artist: Marshall grew up in Collinsville, IL, a small town near St. Louis, and graduated from Illinois State University in 2001 with a degree in art and a specialization in glass. For the next…
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…
North Carolina’s Louise Gaskill transforms vintage items into what she calls “edged-up” modern lighting designs. The artist & owner: Gaskill grew up in New Bern and graduated with a history degree from Meredith College in Raleigh. After selling software for many years, she hit the refresh button on her career. With no formal training, Gaskill…
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…