I create remarkable jewelry from antique and vintage architectural elements, including hinges, keyholes, chandelier parts and doorbells. I also repurpose musical instruments, clock-parts, vintage tools and postage stamps. I search high and low for castoff pieces of the past, then reinvent them. I frame them in classical jewelry settings, to highlight their hidden and often unintended beauty. The result is a striking and adventurous synthesis of industrial strength, history and glamour.
I am a landscape and nature photographer living in Houston, Texas. My goal is to seek out inspiring rural locations and subjects, either natural or man-made, and capture them with the medium of photography to create fine art of the highest quality. http://www.herschbachphotography.com 713-454-9468
I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma and spent my childhood playing outdoors in the woods, fields, streams, and lakes. I have never much cared for the hustle and bustle of city life. My inspiration comes from my time spent walking, running, biking, riding, and driving the back roads where relatively few travel. Open pasture instead of parking lots. Silos instead of skyscrapers. Barns instead of strip malls. Hills and mountains instead of overpasses and super domes. The rural areas speak to me.
I became interested in art at a young age. My Aunt bought me Mark Kistler’s Draw Squad for my birthday when I was twelve and it taught me the fundamentals of creating a three dimensional world on a two dimensional piece of paper. In Junior High, I took a year of private instruction from a local acrylic painter who worked with wildlife and landscapes. During this time I also was taking piano lessons and even taught myself to play the harmonica and the guitar. I grew to enjoy and become skilled in various arts.
Throughout this time I had experimented in photography, from my first 110 film camera given to me by my first grade teacher, to the Minolta SLR I chose as a high school graduation present. However, it wasn’t until December of 2009 that I began to take photography more seriously when I decided that I would like to create some artwork to hang on the walls in our home. In order to do this, I knew that I had to develop a strong foundation for the technical aspect of photography and to continue developing my artistic eye and mind, which I had already begun years before.
I began scouring the internet and reading every book I could get my hands on and watching countless hours of videos on image processing. I submitted select photos for critique by professional photographers. I took on voluntary photography projects at work and at my church to learn how to use light effectively and picked up some small family portrait jobs here and there for family and friends. With every photograph I created, I grew closer to being able to use photography as not just a way to capture a beautiful scene or subject, but as a viable method of communicating emotion, a fundamental principle of fine art. While I understand that mastery of any genre of art is subjective and, at best, difficult to attain, I wish to share with you the artwork that I create along the way as I work toward this goal.
I’m an old hippie whose jewelry making began 20 years ago when on a dare my wife signed me up for a beginner beading class at a local bead shop. I was hooked pretty quickly and began making women’s jewelry using silver, stone and crystal beads and constantly learning techniques to make better pieces. While beading is still a passion, most of my work now is with chain and wire wrap.
Five years ago on yet another dare, I began making rings from old silver coins. I don’t cut or solder the coins. One coin makes one ring and the detail from both sides of the coin is preserved and visible. I fell in love with working metal, and am constantly learning new techniques and exploring the boundaries of turning old coins into cool jewelry. Taking something like a 100-year-old coin and turning it into something it was never intended to be has been an unbelievably rewarding journey, and I love that the possibilities are endless.
David Mercado is an artist who resides in Austin, Texas. In the beginning, his imagery focused on the beauty, strength, and movement of hummingbirds—a series that gained him national recognition by their popularity. As his career progressed, however, an exciting new abstract collection emerged which illustrated not only his range as an artist, but showcased the evolution of depth and complexity within his work.
It is the striking imagery of Mercado’s latest venture, however, which reveals a much more personal side of the artist. His “Virgen de Guadalupe” series gives a profoundly intimate glimpse into the faith and heritage which have inspired him. The series unveils an incredible transformation of traditional, iconic imagery into complex, abstract renderings of the Virgin’s image onto board, paper, and furniture pieces. Mercado’s style flawlessly blends the old and new to produce this new intriguing mix of vivid, soul-jarring, and contemporary pieces. @davidmercadoatxEmail David
My art reflects my interest in science and nature. Also, light and darkness. I’m a digital artist, creating abstracts and realism- expressionist works. Many abstracts start life as fractals, which is my way to balance my logical side with my creative nature. At times, I feel very split between art and tech geek.
