On his 12-acre property in South Carolina, Kent Ambler finds endless inspiration for his nature-based woodcuts. Artist: Born in northwest Indiana about 25 miles outside of Chicago. As a kid, Ambler moved around a lot (seven times between first and twelfth grade), mostly in northwest Indiana. At Ball State University (IN), he was introduced to printmaking…
A lifelong bird and nature lover, Spencer Tinkham creates meticulously detailed and expressive wildlife sculptures with contemporary colors, forms and textures. As others have said: There is nothing “wooden” about the Virginia sculptor’s work. Artist: A Virginia native, Tinkham grew up in Norfolk and graduated with a BS in economics from Baylor University in Waco,…
Baltimore’s Kate Norris rips and collages wallpaper to construct intricate images ranging from animals to anatomical portraits. Artist: Norris was born in Bend, OR, and grew up Redding, CA. She graduated with a BFA from Stanford University and earned an MFA in painting from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Studio: Kate…
Maryland’s Shirley Gromen says her porcelain work is a portal into the ever-changing natural world of the Chesapeake Bay. Artist: Gromen grew up in Maryland. She earned her BFA from MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) and her MFA in ceramics from The Ohio State University. She worked many years as a graphic designer before…
Using very fine brushes and working under a magnifier, Louisiana’s Christina Goodman creates richly detailed miniature paintings on jewelry and small artworks. Artist: Born in Italy, Goodman grew up in the Washington, DC, area.There she was exposed to a great deal of art, particularly Renaissance paintings at the National Gallery (her parents were lovers of…
Sculptor Greg Reuter works in clay, bronze and iron. The Texas-based artist describes his unfussy, well-crafted work as “impressionistic with a gestural quality.” The artist: Born in Santa Monica, CA, Reuter grew up mostly in the San Francisco Bay area. He earned a BA degree at California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and…
With her hand-built ceramic sculptures, Georgia’s Jenifer Thoem can take a wall from wanting to wow. The artist: The Georgia native grew up on a farm in Rome, GA, where her desire to create and build things began and was encouraged by her parents. At Georgia Southern University, she discovered clay and earned a BFA…
Inspired by some antique blown glass buttons, Melissa Schmidt designs stunning blown glass jewelry that is both durable yet lightweight. Elegant and unexpected. The artist: Born in St. Louis, Schmidt grew up in Honolulu and San Francisco, where she attended different colleges, first for metals, then for fashion. After a move to St. Louis, she earned…
Nashville’s Tim Hooper (aka Mr. Hooper) uses animals and inanimate objects as characters to tell stories in his colorful, surreal paintings. The artist: Born in Nashville, Tim Hooper started drawing the Sunday comic strips at an early age and continued to teach himself to draw. In high school, he discovered underground comic books and thought being…
Jason Horton’s close-up paintings of birds and other wildlife are big, bold and beautiful. With their mesmerizing colors and details, the paintings easily anchor a wall or room. But the creatures also appear to be keeping an eye on you. The artist: Born in Brandon, MS. Horton grew up in a creative family. His mother…