In her bright, shiny and over-the-top paintings, Virginia’s Lou Haney explores the excess, absurdity, and intensity of American culture. Artist: The Alabama native, grew up in Decatur. She went to Rhodes College in Memphis, where she explored the technical qualities – glossy and plastic – of acrylic paint. After graduating with a BA, she spent…
Some of Jere Williams’ wood sculptures are incredibly detailed. Others are on the minimal side. But they all convey a sense of curiosity. Company/studio: Williams, previously in Richmond, is based in Savannah as of June 2023. The artist, an Atlanta native, hasn’t settled on a studio location. Artist: Williams grew up in Atlanta in a family…
Virginia’s Anne Scarpa McCauley uses wild honeysuckle in her distinctive coiled baskets, trays and sculptures. Company/studio: Honeysuckle Baskets is located in Free Union, VA. McCauley, a self-taught artist works from home, mostly outdoors. She began making honeysuckle baskets in 1974. Artist: Born in Windsor, VT, she moved at age four with her family to the…
Richmond-based textile artist Hillary Waters Fayle began stitching and using leaves as a primary medium because she loved intricate needlework and was drawn to organic and natural materials. Artist: Born in Buffalo NY, Fayle earned a BFA from Buffalo State College and a MFA degree in Craft/Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). In addition…
Richmond-based textile designer Annabel Wrigley likes her color-happy, textured quilts to have a painterly quality. Artist: Born in Australia, Wrigley grew up in Sydney. In 2001, she moved to Virginia and earned a nursing degree. After her first child was born, Wrigley began sewing — initially just for fun, making children’s clothes and quilts. It…
In Virginia, engineer-turned-artist Wiwat Kamolpornwijit uses light-weight polymer clay in his contemporary jewelry designs. Artist: Kamolpornwijit grew up in Thailand, where he attended an engineering college. He moved to the United States to attend graduate school at New Jersey Institute of Technology and worked as a postgraduate research associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in…
Richmond-based artist Kiara Pelissier has long been fascinated by the magical and transformative nature of glass. The artist: Born in Mexico, Pelissier grew up in Connecticut in a multi-generational family of artists. She later graduated with a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art and earned an MFA in Craft and Material Studies at Virginia…
Virginia metalsmith Cindy Liebel balances elements both classic and modern in her understated jewelry designs. The company/studio: Cindy Liebel Jewelry, based in Fredericksburg went full-time in 2014. The self-taught metalsmith designs and fabricates her work in a backyard home studio. The artist: Born in Virginia, Liebel grew up in a military family, living and traveling in the…
Through his camera sculpture, Virginia’s John Shuptrine blends his interest in photography with his love of wood. The company/studio: John Shuptrine Art, started about eight years ago. The doctor-turned-artist works in his home workshop in Lynchburg, where he has lived for 35 years. In the beginning: While Shuptrine was in the process of retiring from…
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,…