kent ambler

On his 12-acre property in South Carolina, Kent Ambler finds endless inspiration for his nature-based woodcuts. Artist: Born in northwest Indiana about 25 miles outside of Chicago. As a kid, Ambler moved around a lot (seven times between first and twelfth grade), mostly in northwest Indiana. At Ball State University (IN), he was introduced to printmaking…

tara locklear

North Carolina native Tara Locklear designs geometric and playful jewelry using broken and discarded skateboards. Artist: A North Carolina native, Locklear was born and raised in Fayetteville. After high school, she headed to East Carolina University (ECU), but left to go to work. Locklear spent 11 years in the corporate world of event planning and…

woody patterson

To create his graphic, textured works, Alabama artist Woody Patterson uses unexpected items, including upcycled materials, computer and electronic parts and pieces of metal. Artist: Born in Montgomery, AL, Patterson grew up in the greater Birmingham area. At Birmingham-Southern College, he double majored in fine art and business. After graduation, Patterson continued his art training at…

jeff mead

Georgia sculptor Jeff Mead turns salvaged wood into shapely textured works. Artist: The Georgia native grew up in Acworth. At age 18, Mead moved to a small town in northern Massachusetts to work in the tree care business with family. In pursuit of other passions, he packed up and headed to the north woods of Wisconsin…

spencer tinkham

A lifelong bird and nature lover, Spencer Tinkham creates meticulously detailed and expressive wildlife sculptures with contemporary colors, forms and textures. As others have said: There is nothing “wooden” about the Virginia sculptor’s work. Artist: A Virginia native, Tinkham grew up in Norfolk and graduated with a BS in economics from Baylor University in Waco,…

lindsy davis

Lindsy Davis says her art is often categorized as minimal. But to the Nashville sculptor and painter, it is anything but. Artist: The northern New Jersey native grew up in Mahwah near the New York border with a creative mother who studied photography and a hard-working father, who owned a coffee shop. At an early…

valerie berlage

North Carolina’s Valerie Berlage likes to think that her colorful and playful art is like quilting with wood. Artist: Born and raised in the Asheville area, Berlage graduated with a BFA with a concentration in mixed media printmaking from University of North Carolina Asheville. After graduating in 2003, she returned to UNC-Asheville two years later…

tommy moss

To create his large, hand-painted wall sculptures, Atlanta’s Tommy Moss subscribes to a simple philosophy of minimalist forms with maximalist surfaces. Artist: A fourth-generation Atlanta native, Moss graduated with a business degree from Georgia State University. He later took art classes at various art colleges in the Atlanta area. Company/studio: Tommy Moss LLC, started in 2001.…

christina goodman

Using very fine brushes and working under a magnifier, Louisiana’s Christina Goodman creates richly detailed miniature paintings on jewelry and small artworks.  Artist: Born in Italy, Goodman grew up in the Washington, DC, area.There she was exposed to a great deal of art, particularly Renaissance paintings at the National Gallery (her parents were lovers of…

jere williams

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…