Julie Torres practiced law for seven years before turning to pursue a more creative career. Artist: Born in Boise, Idaho, the artist grew up in Tallahassee, FL, where she fell in love with making art when she was seven years old. But when it came time for college and career paths, she was too afraid to…
Santi Saucedo, an Atlanta ceramic artist, creates contemporary spiritual figurines that draw inspiration from diverse cultural influences. Artist: Born in Mexico City, Saucedo moved to and around the United States at a young age. He spent most of his youth in northern Virginia, and later, in Pasadena, CA. Growing up in an artistic family influenced Saucedo,…
Georgia artist and naturalist Chris Wilson celebrates the beauty of birds and other wildlife in his lifelike sculptures. Artist: Born in Cincinnati, OH, Wilson spent his early childhood there before moving to Marietta, GA, when he was 14 years old. He dedicated himself to his art and graduated from Walton High School. In 1994, he earned…
As a child, Andrea Slappey made jewelry from colored telephone wire. Paper clips too. She never planned intended to pursue jewelry making as a vocation. But years later, after taking a metalsmithing class, that changed. Now the Atlanta jewelry artist designs her own collections of modern classics. Artist: Born in Tallahassee, FL, Slappey graduated from…
In his street-style paintings, Vando Davis includes his signature motif: BK2O (Be Kind to Others). The self-taught Atlanta artist says the message adds a deeper layer of meaning to his creative work. Artist: Born in Memphis, Davis grew up in Wilmington, DE, where his dad worked for DuPont. After high school, he attended the University…
Lisa Schnellinger, a former journalist turned artist, specializes in kilnformed glass. The Atlanta glass designer finds it is the right material for her — and her sculptures and hanging panels. Artist: Born and raised in northeast Ohio, Schnellinger earned a bachelor’s in journalism from Kent State University. After college, she worked as a newspaper reporter…
Heather Deyling’s interest in invasive species, climate change and reading eco-fiction influences the Atlanta artist’s colorful, creature-like felted sculptures and wall drawings. Artist: The Ohio native was born and raised in Cleveland. She received a BFA from Kent State University and an MFA from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. In September 2019, she…
At times, Carlos Solis doesn’t understand the mystery and meaning of his dreams. Yet they intrigue — and inspire — the Georgia artist to create surprising and unexpected imagery in his surrealist paintings. Artist: Solis was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. In 1990, he moved to the Chicago area, where he studied graphic design and illustration at…
In her figurative and abstract paintings, Atlanta’s Paula Henderson examines social dynamics. In one direction, her work explores how the impact of the beauty industry shapes women’s lives. In another series, Henderson utilizes shoe patterns on the ground to explore ideas of shared space and social unity. Artist: Born and grew up in the Boston…
Lisa Heller, an Atlanta lawyer turned jewelry designer, calls her work Modern Artifacts. That is because she likes to take moments from history and reinterpret them into modern pieces of jewelry. Artist: Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Heller’s family moved to Stuart, FL, when she was nine. In Stuart, her dad was mayor and her mother…