In her paintings, Mississippi’s Cathy Hegman allows her figurative shapes to remain anonymous, adding a bit of mystery about who they are and where they might be. The artist: Born in Yazoo City, MS, Hegman grew up in nearby Satartia. She graduated from Mississippi State University, where she grew to love art, with a degree in…
In his abstract “constructed paintings,” Richmond’s Cameron Wilson Ritcher often uses weathered and reclaimed materials. The artist: Born in Carbondale, IL, Ritcher grew up in Harrisonburg, VA. He credits his grade-school art education as integral to his development and success as an artist. Before he decided to focus on art, Ritcher explored many interests, including paleontology,…
As a former flight attendant, Birmingham’s Kay Vinson frequently flew to Japan and other parts of Asia. Her years of travel, and interest in Eastern culture, influence her abstract paintings. The artist: Though her family moved frequently when she was a child, Vinson considers Birmingham home. After high school, she attended University of Alabama, but…
For the past 35 years North Carolina sculptor and painter Mary-Ann Prack has captured the essence of what it is to be human in her figurative clay works. On the surface her sculptures are colorful, sensuous and precise. She believes experiencing them reveals the spirit, energy and joy in which they were created. The artist:…
In her colorful silhouettes, Atlanta’s Tracy Murrell celebrates the beauty and grace of the female form. The artist: Born in Mobile, AL, she moved with her family to Spain for five years when her father was in the Air Force. After that, the family settled in Biloxi, MS. ` At Centenary College in Shreveport, LA., Murrell…
In her life-size paintings of wildlife, Tennessee’s Krista Eubanks adds found organic objects, such as acorns and grasses. She also scatters meaningful writings throughout — sometimes in an animal’s fur or in the shadows. The artist: Eubanks was born and grew up in Rossville, GA. She earned a degree in graphic arts from Chattanooga State…
In a recent series of paintings, South Carolina’s Francis Sills was influenced by the landscape in and around his Low Country home. The artist: Sills grew up in central New Jersey where he was exposed to art and nature as a child, hiking and fishing in the woods, ponds and creeks near his home. He…
Martha Clippinger, a North Carolina painter and textile designer, is always exploring the relationships of color, and often off-kilter geometrics, in her many works. The artist: Clippinger grew up in Columbus, GA, and headed After high school, she headed to New York to study art history. She received a BA from Fordham University in 2005 and…
Self-taught Florida artist Paul Tamanian is well known for his sophisticated and innovative, large-scale paintings and sculpture. The studio: Paul Tamanian Studio is based in Tallahassee, FL. Though he has a detached studio, Tamanian works outside on his physically challenging art, battling yellow flies, sweat and pop-up showers. The artist: Born in upstate New York,…
In her bright, color-happy paintings, Tennessee’s Molly Wright depicts landscapes, people (sheep too) in an abstract style. The artist: Wright grew up in Virginia and Connecticut, taking drawing and painting lessons. She attended a public high school that had an excellent art department, and then earned a degree in fine art from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College…