Jim Koehn
I like to travel the Streets of Houston, The Backroads & Main Streets of Texas, and the roads, highways, and scenic byways beyond to find inspiration for my paintings.
I like to travel the Streets of Houston, The Backroads & Main Streets of Texas, and the roads, highways, and scenic byways beyond to find inspiration for my paintings.
by Tina Couet
“I create art glass décor using stained glass lead came, German leaded crystal and recycled American glass. I incorporate various elements, such as seashells, mirrors, color, & sacred geometry to achieve uniquely quirky and creative pieces.”
I love objects with multiple personalities- recognizable things that change when incorporated in a piece of artwork. I see that in my work- where antiques and recycled or found objects suggest one thing while the image may suggest another. I love how the layering of encaustic wax reflects the light differently depending on your viewpoint- like water and glass do.
I’ve been working with a visual vocabulary of shapes that tell a universal story. Painting, printmaking, and mixed media are my primary creative processes. I try not to have any predetermined outcomes but see where the work will take me.
by Kathryn O’Connor. Abstract paintings and photography alluvionart.com
I create paintings that show my love for nature and the State of Texas. I use watercolors, oils, and acrylics. 979-864-0155
by Heather Wobbe
Seeing beauty in the design and aged patinas of ancient objects, Modern Artifacts looks to juxtapose unique textures with a modern aesthetic. I draw inspiration from my experience working on an archaeology dig in Houston’s Historic Freedmen’s Town, as well as my time as a Curatorial Assistant for the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the Stone Fort Museum of Nacogdoches.
I received my BFA from Stephen F. Austin State University where I studied a variety of cultural and historical metalworking techniques as well as advanced chemical patination processes, now specializing in creating my own patinas that I paint on with a torch. I work with sold 14K gold and gold filled materials, sterling silver, nu-gold, bronze, copper, and shibuichi and transform the materials into anthropologically inspired contemporary jewelry.
Conflict free raw blue and black diamonds, fossils, geodes, lapis lazuli, buffalo turquoise, and other stones are sprinkled into my work to enhance the minimal yet bold look of the collection.
Using crisp lines and simple geometry as a vehicle to celebrate the beauty of the raw materials in different states, the pieces appear both polished and new, as well as worn and aged. Whether using patina, a sandblaster, or 23K gold leaf, contrasting finishes define my work and give it the graphic quality which lends it its identity.
One-of-a-kind sterling jewelry by Melanie Schlossberg. www.dirigibledesigns.com
by Paul Atwell
Painted specimen quality insects, sometimes larger than life, sometimes smaller. I primarily work in watercolor on paper. PaulAtwell.com
My work is inspired by the things that inspire me personally, which are many and varied. As a geoscientist, rocks and stones are almost always my main source of inspiration, especially incredibly well-cut stones from independent lapidary artists.
However, design itself is another influence on my pieces. Bringing shapes, textures, and color together in unexpected ways and the desire to bring jewelry away from the body is, currently, a major influence. In addition to the many things and ideas that inspire me, I want my jewelry to evoke quiet refinement and sophistication while being interesting and wearable. To achieve this, I use minimal styling incorporating clean lines, subtle texturing, and careful attention to finish. My work is set apart by the use of tactile design and 3D elements, like texturing flat silver then manipulating it into domes and folds. It’s comfortable and wearable, but still different enough to incite questions like “Where did you get that?”