Using traditional glass blowing techniques, Thor and Jennifer Bueno of North Carolina create unique wall compositions with glass pieces that resemble river stones and soap bubbles. The artists: Thor and Jennifer Bueno Thor: Grew up surfing in Southern California and started blowing glass in 1979. He studied with the late Italo Scanga at University of…
Canoeing the swamps and wetlands in the Gulf Coast, Louisiana native Pippin Frisbie-Calder developed a deep appreciation for the raw beauty, fragility and diversity of the various ecosystems. The New Orleans printmaker hopes to document what these threatened areas have – and what they may still lose – in her art. The artist: Born in…
In her sculptural jewelry, North Carolina metalsmith Anna Johnson balances raw and refined, edgy and elegant. The artist: Born in Charlotte, NC, Johnson grew up interested in nature and jewelry making. She graduated with a degree in studio art with a focus on metalsmithing from Appalachian State University. She lives and works in Asheville. The…
From her popular ceramic wall pods to her sculptural tree totems, Alice Ballard’s work is always about nature. The artist: Born in Florence, SC, Ballard grew up in an Air Force family and lived all over the world. She earned degrees in painting at the University of Michigan, working as a scientific illustrator to put…
Self-taught jeweler Julie Cohn describes her work as primitive modern, juxtaposing rough with refined. The company: Julie Cohn Design, based in Dallas, started in 2010. It is the name of Cohn’s jewelry collection but also encompasses collaborative projects with other artists, architects and designers. The artist: Cohn grew up in Tulsa and was educated as…
In college, Megan Clark had a passion for fashion. But after taking a metals class, she changed her mind. And her major. Now the North Carolina artist is well-known for her timeless and modern jewelry designs. The artist: Born in Guam, Clark spent most of her childhood in Durham, NC. After graduating from the Savannah…
A lifelong interest in the natural world’s colors, forms and textures influences Kate Rothra Fleming’s glass jewelry designs. Background: Grew up in Miami, and as a child traveled around to remote areas of wild Florida with her father and mother, a nature writer. Fleming earned degrees from University of Florida and Rochester Institute of Technology.…
Florida’s Eric Shupe is happy to take your everyday flatware and turn it into a fantastic, one-of-a kind sculpture. The artist: Born in Baltimore, Shupe traveled across the country with his father living in unique environments, like a treehouse in redwood forests and a tiki hut in Hawaii, before they settled down near Gainesville, Fla.…
Coastal excursions and walks on the beach helped inspire ceramic artist Heather Knight to make modern pieces you want to reach out and touch. The artist: Born in Houston, Knight grew up in various cities throughout the South. She attended the College of Charleston and later earned a degree in ceramics from the University of…
Baskets bring a simple warmth and beauty into a home. Especially the one-of-kind sculptural baskets by North Carolina’s Matt Tommey. The artist: Originally from Columbus, Ga., Tommey grew up loving the outdoors and was a part of the Boy Scouts and Order of the Arrow as a teenager. While working at the college bookstore at UGA,…