Katarina Tifft’s sculptural work is a contemporary take on traditional seashell crafts. Company/studio: Katarina Tifft Art, which started in 2022, is based in Gainesville, FL. The artist, who started working with shells in 2020 during the pandemic, has a dedicated home studio. Artist: Born in Slovakia (the former Czechoslovakia) she grew up in the countryside…
New Orleans jewelry designer Emily Zawislak uses traditional metalsmithing techniques to make striking, minimalist pieces, integrating faceted gemstones and the elegant luster of gold accents. Artist: Born in Houston, Zawislak’s family moved around the country many times before they settled in New Orleans when she was a teenager. After high school, she went to the…
Nashville textile artist Emily Brown uses leather to craft her modern, puzzle-like wall art. Artist: Born in Birmingham, AL, but grew up mainly in Chicago, IL. At age 13, Brown began working with leather textiles and crafted her first leather handbag. In high school, she participated in fashion classes and competitions. Despite an interest in art,…
North Carolina jewelry designer Emily Rogstad translates architectural details and everyday objects into wearable pieces. Artist: Born and raised in East Calais, VT, Rogstad got her start working with metal in the eighth grade at her public high school, which had a metals and jewelry studio. From there, she was hooked. Rogstad went to Maine College…
Known for her fresh and often bold designs, Texas metalsmith artist Helen Dorion believes jewelry is art and your body is the gallery. Artist: Originally from the North West of England, Dorion received her undergraduate degree in Fashion and Textile Design from the Sir John Moores University in Liverpool in 1987. After meeting and eventually…
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,…
Through a lost-wax casting process, South Carolina glass artist Wm. Austin Norvell transfers the insignificant objects he finds and collects into delicate crystal keepsakes. Artist: The Charleston native graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in studio art and studied art and mold making for two years at the Richmond American International College in…
Using time-tested blacksmithing techniques and modern practices, Virginia-based metalsmith Marc Maiorana creates unique projects, such as ribbon-like steel benches, for clients across the country. Artist: Born in Greenfield, MA, Maiorana grew up in Montague, NJ, just down the road from the NY, NJ, PA Tri-state marker. Maiorana was introduced to metal working at a young age. His…
Atlanta designer Cat Goolsby creates metal jewelry that looks like soft, free-flowing ribbon and fabric. Artist: Born in Ohio, Goolsby grew up in Lilburn, GA. She earned a BS in psychology with a minor in biology at Georgia State University, where she also took some metalsmithing classes. Though Goolsby pursued what she thought was a more…
To create his large, hand-painted wall sculptures, Atlanta’s Tommy Moss subscribes to a simple philosophy of minimalist forms with maximalist surfaces. Artist: A fourth-generation Atlanta native, Moss graduated with a business degree from Georgia State University. He later took art classes at various art colleges in the Atlanta area. Company/studio: Tommy Moss LLC, started in 2001.…