Trained as a traditional metalsmith, Maryland designer Jowita Allen uses recycled plastic bottles, nylon and other ordinary materials to make her modern and often playful jewelry. The artist: Allen began making jewelry and wearable objects as a teenager while growing up in Poland. In 2005, she moved to the United States and settled in Washington,…
North Carolina sculptor and designer Tom Haney creates a modern offshoot of the time-honored, Old World tradition of automata. The artist: Born in Cincinnati, Haney grew up in a large creative family, and earned a degree in industrial design from the University of Cincinnati. Before he became a full-time artist in 2000, Haney made props,…
Texas-based printmaker Elvia Perrin uses abstract imagery, geometric lines and clean-cut shapes in her handmade, minimalist wall art. The artist: Born in Rosenberg, TX, Perrin earned a BFA from the University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in studio art, and an MFA in printmaking at the University of North Texas in Denton. After…
Through gestures and postures in his sculptures, Florida artist Todd K. Fox communicates moments of both joy and sadness with the awareness that one cannot exist without the other. The artist: Born in Orlando, Fox was introduced to the art of Raku at age 11 by a childhood friend. He had a kiln and received…
Vicki Essig is known for her detailed and Zen-like handwoven mixed-media art. But in a recent, atypical work, the North Carolina artist used her own home-grown silkworms to make a dress, which sold to a collector. The artist: Born in Denver, the artist grew up in Colorado. She lived in Europe for four years before…
NOLA-based artist Mary Singleton calls her color-happy paintings “botanical abstractions.” The artist: Born in Baton Rouge, Singleton started painting as a child, disappearing into her art for hours. After taking a bohemian approach to college and life in her early 20s, she graduated with a BFA from Louisiana State University. She moved to New Orleans…
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…
Baltimore’s April Wood uses intricate lace patterns that are hand-pierced in blackened and oiled mild steel. Her work is dark and densely ornamental. But also light and airy. The artist: Wood grew up in San Antonio, TX, and lived in Austin as a young adult. She earned a BFA in studio art with a concentration…
One grandfather was a carpenter. The other was a machinist. Both influenced Dave Lasker’s work and career as a contemporary furniture designer and sculptor in Atlanta. The artist: Born in West Seneca, NY, Lasker lived in Providence, RI. Before heading off to college, he worked construction jobs during the summer months in high school. He…
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,…