In her figurative and abstract paintings, Atlanta’s Paula Henderson examines social dynamics. In one direction, her work explores how the impact of the beauty industry shapes women’s lives. In another series, Henderson utilizes shoe patterns on the ground to explore ideas of shared space and social unity. Artist: Born and grew up in the Boston…
In his jewelry work, North Carolina’s Matthew Smith draws on his background in graphic design and his appreciation of mid-century modern style. Artist: Born and raised in Columbus, OH, Smith graduated with a BFA from Wake Forest University, where he focused on printmaking and sculpture. For 20 years, he worked as a freelance graphic designer, but…
Douglas Miller’s drawings and paintings of wildlife may appear unfinished. But that is exactly the Kentucky artist’s style and intention. Artist: Born and grew up in a family of teachers in Evansville, IN, until he moved to Florida to attend Ringling College of Art for two years. In 2001, after a stint in Seattle, Miller…
South Carolina’s Katie Kameen takes secondhand objects, like plastic plates and children’s toys, and playfully reinvents them as wearable sculptures. Artist: The Illinois native was born and grew up in Peoria. She earned a BFA in 3-D studio art at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) and her MFA in metalsmithing and jewelry design from Indiana University (IU).…
To explore color and pattern, North Carolina’s Shane Fero takes a painterly approach to his sculptural glass birds and vessels. Artist: Born in Chicago, Fero’s family moved to Winter Haven, FL, in 1967. About a half-mile from his home, was the flameworking shop of Bob and Marie Howell, part of a well-known itinerant family of…
Stephen Dorsett makes sculptures of miniature landscapes from consumer waste. Then photographs them. The Kentucky native describes his work as a meditation on consumerism and the environment. Artist: Dorsett was born and grew up in Louisville, KY. He graduated in 1999 with a BA in studio art, with a focus on drawing, painting and sculpture,…
Lisa Heller, an Atlanta lawyer turned jewelry designer, calls her work Modern Artifacts. That is because she likes to take moments from history and reinterpret them into modern pieces of jewelry. Artist: Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Heller’s family moved to Stuart, FL, when she was nine. In Stuart, her dad was mayor and her mother…
Tennessee sculptor Raymond Padron carves hyper-realistic wood wall reliefs of familiar and often meaningful items from your past. Artist: Born in Maryland, Padron grew up in the North Virginia suburbs of DC. He graduated with a BA in art from Messiah College in Grantham, PA, and moved to Chattanooga, TN. In 2011, Padron received his…
Using a combination of digital painting and photo manipulation techniques, Birmingham native Beth Conklin creates work she describes as recycled dreamscapes. Artist: The Alabama native was born and raised in Birmingham. She graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in mechanical engineering and worked as an environmental engineer for ExxonMobil for 13 years. Conklin…
Georgia-based artist Courtney Khail produces abstract floral watercolor paintings and murals using pools of bold color and layers of gestural lines. Artist: Originally from Augusta, Khail studied visual arts at John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School for eight years in her hometown. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2007 with a BFA in…