The world through her fingertips
Maine is a long way from China.
And for Amy Putansu, that distance is a testament to her life, passions and career.
“That was a whole new level,” she smiled. “I was in heaven — it was incredible.”
Lead the way: Haywood artist releases frame-worthy trail guides
Ken Czarnomski has always loved sketching and writing, but as a department chair for the sustainability and construction management programs at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, his projects consisted mainly of razor-straight lines and technical engineering language. There wasn’t a lot of room for freehand sketches or colorful commentary.
After retiring, Czarnomski began looking around for ways to pick up some of those hobbies he’d left untouched as a working professional. At the same time, he wanted to find a way to give back to his community, Haywood County. So, he started sketching hiking maps.
Traditional Hands: Cherokee history bridged through his hands
General Grant knew from a young age he was an artist.
“I was gifted, it was a gift from The Creator,” he said. “He gave me multiple talents and I was not afraid to experiment with them. Through my experimentation, I’ve become very good at this and have able to make a living doing it.”
Scenes of redemption: Gallery 86 in Waynesville features paintings by Luke Allsbrook
By Michael Beadle
Luke Allsbrook has a voice as soothing as his paintings.
He explains his craft with the calm of someone who has spent hours in solitary reflection, emerging from nature with gifted insights. Whether it’s a vast stretch of beach, a mountain pasture or glowing houselights in a suburban home, there’s an invisible breeze hushing peripheral noise as you enter his world of oil paintings.
The art of forgery: Jackson County blacksmiths learn the art of their business and the business of art
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer
Deep in the mountains that surround Jackson County’s Tuckasegee community, the sound of metal on metal rings out with a sharp ping as blacksmith David Brewin begins to shape a steel rod.
The rod, heated in a propane power forge, glows red, its tip approximately 2,000 degrees. Brewin deftly raises and fells his hammer, steel bending around the anvil’s curved edge and forming a graceful curl.
Petal to the metal: Franklin metal artist Victor Raul Moraloza grows in art as in life
By Michael Beadle
For Victor Raul Moraloza, each day is a gift.
From being a high school wrestling champion to surviving a grenade explosion in the Vietnam War to treasure diving off the coast of Colombia to creating award-winning metal sculptures that are sold all over the United States, Moraloza has always been willing to take that gift and do what he could with it.
Work in process: In life as in art, glass artist John Nickerson is a student of methodology
By Sarah Kucharski
John Nickerson is a very exacting man. Tall and solidly built, he moves with efficiency, his speech measured and pointed as he explains how he came into being a glassblower.
“I don’t do this to make tons of money. I do this because I can’t stand working for anybody else,” he said.
Exploring the creative side with handcrafted jewelry
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer
Jewelry artist Debbie Higdon makes what she likes to wear — handmade pieces, created from twisted and soldered silver wires and cut silver sheets.