daniel decaprio

In his carved wood jewelry, Louisiana’s Daniel DiCaprio hopes to create biological forms, like orchids, that are weird yet beautiful. The artist: Born in Albany, DiCaprio grew up in the Hudson River Valley of upstate New York. He graduated with a degree in art education from Nazareth College in Rochester, NY, and later earned his…

roxane hollosi

Atlanta’s Roxane Hollosi calls her multi-layered art a visual document of the energies she feels – and those around her. The artist: Born in North Dakota, she grew up in southern Minnesota and Iowa.  She earned a BFA from ISU College of Design in Ames, IA, and received additional training at the School of the…

mitchell bat co.

When Nashville’s Jeremy Mitchell started his company, the longtime baseball fan hoped to hit a homerun with his heritage-inspired, hand-painted baseball bats. He has. The artist: The Tennessee native grew up in Hendersonville and studied sports marketing at Western Kentucky University. After college, Mitchell worked in advertising for 10 years before starting his company in Nashville,…

david c. robinson

In his visually complex sculptures, Atlanta ceramic artist David Robinson is inspired by the natural world and “the residue of the human experience.” The artist: Robinson grew up in Greenville, MS, and graduated from Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. He also earned a master’s degree in instructional design from Georgia State University (GSU). While working…

paul tamanian

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,…

molly wright

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…

dawna gillespie

Texas jewelry designer and metalsmith Dawna Gillespie describes her art as sculptural and soulful. The artist: Gillespie grew up in Fort Worth and graduated with a BFA from Texas Tech University. At college, she first focused on acrylic painting. Then Gillespie took a metalsmithing class, and never looked back. The company/studio: Dawna Gillespie Adornments, started…

trish andersen

Though she grew up in Georgia’s “carpet capital,” Trish Andersen never thought she would be in the rug business. But the Savannah fiber artist, best known for her bold, hand-tufted wall work, is about to launch a new carpet line. The artist: Andersen was born and raised in Dalton, GA, the so-called “carpet capital of…

lucy bailey clay

South Carolina ceramic artist Lucy Bailey studied faces for years before she started to make them. And it shows in her surreal figurative work. The artist: Bailey grew up on Lake Murray in Irmo, and graduated from Columbia College (SC) with a theater degree. She earned a master’s degree in clinical counseling and an education…

george peterson

In North Carolina, self-taught wood artist George Peterson uses busted old skateboards to make striking textured art. The artist: Born in Long Beach, CA, Peterson grew up in Bishop, a small town in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. At age 6, he stepped on to his first skateboard and remained an active skater, often building…