If You Cut Your Own Hair to Make Paintbrushes, Nothing will Get in Your Way
Olga Dorenko was born in Uzbekistan. “My father was in the military, so we moved around a lot, from one end of the country…
Conflict-Free Diamonds are a Jewelry Designer’s Best Friend
Lauren Moody wears a necklace made from a sliver of meteorite. It’s her everyday piece. When she smiles and stretches out her hand for…
When You Grow Up in Paris but Discover Art in the American South …
Frederic Payet is a self-taught painter whose palette-knife works are impressionistic with a signature, secret vibrancy. Born on the island of Madagascar, Payet was…
Stabbing Something 1,000 Times Provides the Ultimate Stress Relief
Sassy Jacks Stitchery displays embroidery samplers more than 300 years old. But shop owner Kim Young’s mission is to keep the ancient craft alive…
Early Dumpster Diving Indicates a Future of Skulls and Watch Parts
Bobbie Polizzi, who brands her work as “Junk & Disorderly,” moved to WNC in 1997 as a product-design executive for a manufacturing company. She’s…
Smoke ’em if You Got ’em
In the same way that some former Western North Carolina tobacco farms are being repurposed through crop diversification, Clark Whittington transformed Midcentury cigarette-vending machines…
Illustrator’s Roller-Coaster Ride Becomes the Viewer’s Peaceful Landing
Fian Arroyo is a big-time illustrator with a client roster that includes Scholastic, Boy Scouts of America, Miller Lite, US News and World Report,…
She Mapped Her Journey Back to Art on the Front of a Notecard
“Curiosity is what brought me to where I am today,” says collage artist McKenzie Keenan, who owns and operates an atelier in Brevard, Heart…
Sculptor Shapes Her Story, Your Story, and Everyone Else’s, Too
Many of Cristina Córdova’s sculptures resist being identified as either feminine or masculine. “In the case of androgyny,” she says, “I’m really interested in…
He Wants His Art to Talk to Itself While You Listen
“I’m not an artist who is comfortable with pigeonholing myself,” says oil painter Peter Roux. “When I work with representational art I get itchy…
Kitchenware was Crucial in Her Potter’s Evolution
Cathey Bolton’s hands are muddy as she chats with customers in her Waynesville gallery Art on Depot. They often tour the rainbow of mugs,…
Her Main Inspiration is, in Fact, Not Being Inspired
When Cindy Walton enters her painting studio, she leaves everyday concerns at the door. She moves swiftly, “attacking” the canvas. “My main thing is…
She Wants to Make Your Fantasies Come True … Under Really Good Lighting
If you’re going to switch focus in your career, the Louvre might be the world’s best eureka spot. Walking around the iconic art museum…
Printmaker was Hard-Pressed to Revolutionize a Centuries-Old Technique
Photography has always been evolved by technology — going from hulking machines to quite literally the palms of our hands. For most, it’s a…
Love Hurts and Prompts Fascinating Conceptual Art
Nine years ago, artist Gwen Bigham moved from Charlotte to Asheville. Psychologists note that moving is one of the most stressful events a person…