The Couple That Clays Together … Gets to Quit Their Day Jobs
byWhoever warned that spouses shouldn’t work together was brooding about cubicles, not clay wheels. Ann and Sandy Batton create harmoniously in a studio next…
MEDIUM
Recycled-Linen Burial Shrouds Bring a Delicate Topic Down to Earth
byIn her former career as a fashion designer and pattern maker, Christi Whiteley faced the daily task of tailoring fabric to size. First for…
Her Sensual Oils Are All About Naked Emotion
byShe moves dreamily between abstractionism and realism, often combining the two. “I love to paint everything and anything,” says Sandra Bottinelli. “It depends on…
It’s a Trial By Fire — and That’s After the Kiln Does Its Work
byRaku pottery is an ancient Japanese art form that requires a meticulous process. But the final step is pure chance, and for Steven Forbes-deSoule,…
Grain Guru Caught Her Calling in the Rye
byDr. Evil, the megalomaniacal mastermind of the Austin Powers movie franchise, once expressed a fervent wish to possess sharks with “frickin’ laser beams” on…
Twirling Molten Glass in Public Wasn’t Asheville Enough, So They Added Beer to the Action
byThose ripples and waves in antique window panes were likely formed by human breath. That’s because glassblowers of old were relied upon to create…
He Answered the Demands of a Whole Different Animal
byWorking from The Lift Studios, a converted biscuit factory in the River Arts District, Daniel McClendon paints wild canvases of wild animals. From alligators…
Crafter is a Menace to Society, and the World is Better for It
byFrankie Myers is always in motion. She’s reused thousands of pounds of discarded inner tubes, and has also managed to double-purpose her business’s quirky…
Their Love Story is the Glaze on a Successful Ceramics Empire
byRob Mangum first got clay under his fingernails in the 1970s while helping his parents with their business, Mangum Pottery of Turkey Knob, in…
He Gave His Love an Apple Tree, She Carved It Into Spoon
byHe won her heart with an apple tree. “People bring me wood all the time,” says Becky Beyer of Barnardsville. “That’s how my boyfriend…