Materials matter to Atlanta’s Muriel Luxemburger. So does Old World craftsmanship. That’s why her fashionable and functional French-inspired bags make a statement. The artist/designer: Born in Paris, Luxemburger studied academic art and design in Paris at the Atelier de Sevres and earned an undergraduate degree from the Ecole Superieure de Design. After graduation she worked in…
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…
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…
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…
Pilot turned designer Robert Porter can fashion a favorite baseball glove into a functional and stylish gift for your favorite MVP. The company: Vvego International started in 2008 in Birmingham, Ala. The founder: Robert Porter, a native of Birmingham, graduated from Birmingham Southern College and worked as a commercial pilot for 20 years. He started…
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…
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…