Tennessee’s Daryl Thetford often uses more than 200 photographs to create one piece of his digital pop art. Artist: Thetford grew up on a farm in Bradford, a small town in the rural northwest corner of Tennessee. His father worked in a warehouse, and his mother was a beautician. While Thetford’s parents encouraged him to pursue…
North Carolina jewelry artist Jason Janow describes his rustic yet refined designs as “precisely natural.” ™ Artist: Growing up in Amherst, VA, Janow loved the outdoors and took an early interest in jewelry. Later, at age 30, he made a career change and enrolled in Haywood Community College in Clyde, NC, where he earned a degree…
With organic shapes, surface decoration and adornments, such as fish hooks and hand-cut metal, North Carolina ceramic artist Isys Hennigar explores the relationship between humans and the natural world, particularly that of Appalachia. Artist: Grew up near Asheville and earned a BFA Studio Art from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2017. In…
Georgia native Kelly Breedlove is not a photographer, but he uses photo-based mixed media work to explore memories, emotions and relationships. The studio: Breedlove’s studio is in The Cotton Mill in Cabbagetown, an historic Atlanta neighborhood. The artist: Grew up in Covington, surrounded by a unique southern cowboy culture and inherited a love of snapshot…
North Carolina sculptor Aaron Alderman uses a technique he developed of drawing in space with round-stock steel. Artist: Alderman grew up in Brevard, NC, and still calls it home. After graduating from Brevard College, he went to work with his college sculpture professor, Tim Murray, as a teaching assistant. He also helped Murray produce a monumental…
In college, Atlanta fiber artist Leslie Wilson developed a unique process to create her silkscreened and embroidered designs. Artist: Born in Macon, Wilson graduated from Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) and later worked as a textile designer in the Georgia carpet Industry for Mohawk Industries and UK-based Ulster Carpets. A full-time artist, Wilson…
In Virginia, engineer-turned-artist Wiwat Kamolpornwijit uses light-weight polymer clay in his contemporary jewelry designs. Artist: Kamolpornwijit grew up in Thailand, where he attended an engineering college. He moved to the United States to attend graduate school at New Jersey Institute of Technology and worked as a postgraduate research associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in…
A self-taught polymer clay artist, Baltimore’s Amy Blair designs playful, patterned jewelry inspired by her travels and a curiosity about different cultures. The artist: Born in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted when she was three months old, Blair grew up in Baltimore. She studied jewelry and metals for a few years at Towson University before…
In her abstract ceramic, metal and plaster sculptures, Birmingham-based artist Emily Meisler is inspired by natural elements. The artist: Meisler grew up in Birmingham, and graduated from the College of Charleston in 2015 with degrees in psychology and studio art with a concentration in sculpture. After graduation, she took a year off before grad school and…
In her architecturally inspired jewelry, Maryland metalsmith Hilary Hachey uses clean lines and striking designs. The artist: Born outside of Philadelphia, Hachey became interested in jewelry making when her high school art teacher nominated her for a summer scholarship program for high schoolers at Moore College of Art in Philadelphia. She learned jewelry making and metalsmithing…