Scale, shape and color drive the work of South Carolina painter Liz Rundorff Smith. The artist: Born in Greenville, PA, her family moved to Littleton, CO, when she was four. The family moved back to western Pennsylvania when she was 15. She received a BA in studio art with a concentration in sculpture from the College…
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…
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 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…
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…
With her hand-built ceramic sculptures, Georgia’s Jenifer Thoem can take a wall from wanting to wow. The artist: The Georgia native grew up on a farm in Rome, GA, where her desire to create and build things began and was encouraged by her parents. At Georgia Southern University, she discovered clay and earned a BFA…
In North Carolina, Christine Kosiba creates expressive and textured wildlife sculptures that show a curiosity about how we connect with the natural world around us. The artist: Born at Fort Rucker, AL, Kosiba grew up in many places since her father was an Army officer. She earned a master’s degree in special education at University of…
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,…
Using heavyweight drawing paper and cardboard, South Carolina’s Sara E. Farrington creates everything from furniture to light switches in her “Model Home” installation. The artist: Born in Greenwood, SC, in 1987, Farrington grew up mostly in Myrtle Beach. Her mother was an art teacher, and making art was something Farrington always did. At Coastal Carolina…