JEWELRY ARTISANS
A. Denise Rollings-Martin - Juried Artisan
For Denise, it all starts with the stone. The gemstones she likes to work with have something special and unique about them; an unusual shape, exceptional color or a rough gem that just needs a little care and attention. I use traditional lapidary practices to bring these stones and fossils from rough to jewelry ready. Most of the gemstones are acquired directly from the people who mine them and the pearls come directly from the pearl farm owners.Fine silver and 18k gold are her preferred metals, their color and patina complimenting each other and the gem-stones they adorn. She also loves the way they can be hammered, formed and manipulated into shape with cold processes and cold connection techniques. She starts with a sheet of find silver or 18K gold, cuts out a shape to work with and begins hammering and forming it into a cap, setting or decoration. She also uses fine silver, sterling silver and 18k gold wire, hammering and forming it into flourishes, swirls, boules, bails and chain. She says, “Each morning, I find myself amazed and grateful that I’m here and able to work at something I love to do. I hope you can feel that love in each piece I create.”
Leigh Ann Hurst - Juried Artisan
Leigh Ann Hurst never intended on becoming a jewelry designer and it is through the originality and distinction of her custom pieces that the beauty of the jewelry is reflected. With the exception of a few weekend workshops, Leigh Ann is self taught in metalsmithing and jewelry design. She seamlessly blends sterling silver, copper, brass, and gold-filled metals to create unique art jewelry that is as pleasing to the eye as it is comfortable to wear. Semi-precious stones and leather are sometimes used adding visual interest and texture. Each piece of Jewelry is handcrafted by the artist in her studio in Decatur, Alabama. There is more of this artisan's work on this web site. Click here to see it.
Anne Moore - Juried Artisan
I am a metal smith who loves to create simple and modern pieces that are timeless and feminine. I primarily work with sterling, gold filled and some copper. I like little details so I often embellish my pieces with tiny gemstones or freshwater pearls. My jewelry is simple, versatile and can be worn with a variety of styles. It makes me really happy when people tell me they love to wear my jewelry- that's what it's all about for me. After living all over the country and raising our three daughters, my husband and I find ourselves back where we started in sweet home Alabama- and loving it!
Vaughn Millner- Juried Artisan
Vaughn Millner is an Alabama gulf coast jewelry artist and metalsmith who also teaches silversmithing classes. She lives on the Tensaw delta and draws her inspiration from the vast water, sky, flora and fauna around her. All of her pieces are hand-fabricated and one-of-a-kind. Pieces may be produced in a collection, but each is unique. Self-taught, she has also trained with master jewelers and has gained the technical skills to create jewelry that reflects her designs. She seeks to create contemporary pieces using ancient techniques, thus making wearable art jewelry that transcends time and place. Her silver work is created using an acetylene torch to solder or fuse sheets of silver and other metals she has patterned or etched through a variety of techniques. She fires pieces to about 1400°multiple times throughout the fabrication process. She often layers sterling and fuses pieces together in abstract patterns prior to assembly and soldering. She pays close attention to detail. Pieces are finished by hand polishing with museum wax to protect the patina or hand-rubbed glow.
Cindy Miller - Juried Artisan
Cindy is a native of Huntsville, Alabama. She studied art at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and began a career in graphic design while attending school. In her mid-thirties, she also became an archaeologist earning a degree in Anthropology from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Art and Archaeology have been the leading influences in Cindy's life and they have heavily shaped her creative path. Cindy has been working with metal clay since 2004 and received her PMC certification in 2008. As part of the Metal Clay Master's Registry she has earned the level of Maters Level II. In May 2017 Cindy won the prestigious Saul Bell Award, an international design award aimed at highlighting artists who excel artistically and technically in the jewelry industry. Cindy's work has been showcased in galleries across the United States including Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Texas, and Tennessee. She was a contributing artist to the exhibition entitled Cultural Messages: Symbolism Through the Ages at Purdue University and Crafthaus exhibition entitled New Directions: Powder metallurgy (Metal Clay) in a sheet Metal World. Her work has been published in Art Jewelry Magazine, Metal Clay Artist Magazine, BeadStyle Magazine, Fusion: The Journal of the International PMC Guild, and Contemporary Metal Clay Rings. there is more of this artisan’s work on this website. Click here to see it.
Joanne Staley - Juried Artisan
Joanne Staley has been an award winning, multi-dimensional artist for over 40 years. A first generation Hungarian-American, she counts a stone-carver, a custom milliner, two painters and a violin maker in her immediate blood line. Her personal artistry is in painting, silversmithing and fiber art. A trained artist and certified art teacher, she has captured prizes from juried art competitions in the South and purchase awards from national corporations. Joanne's undergraduate degrees are from Ohio State and Southern Illinois University, and graduate degrees from Troy State. She has studied art at a post graduate level at Savannah College of Art and Design, Penland School of Crafts and Arrowmont.
Toby Klein - Juried Artisan
Like a real Kaleidoscope, Toby's art is created with a burst of color, symmetry of design and motion all captured in "The Artists Kaleidoscopic World". Her goal in creating work is to intrigue each person by drawing their eye into the piece of art, while holding it there so they may see all of the intricate detail. In developing her style, she has always been intrigued by different and unusual pieces of art and has worked to do the same in her work. She is a mixed media artist, whose work is contemporary and ranges from different degrees of abstraction and experimental to representation. Her images both representational and non-objective show the use of color, design & techniques as seen through the artist eyes.
Norman Morgan - Juried Artisan
Norman specializes in the art of chase and repousse' . This art form uses hammers and punches to move metal into a design, by repousse' (raising) and chasing (pushing) of the metal. He trained with El Maestro (Master) Fabrizio Aquafresca of Florence, Italy and excels at this art form. He uses it to create bracelets, pendants and earrings.
Sarah L. Morgan
Sarah Morgan is an internal medicine physician at UAB in the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology. She is the medical director of the UAB Osteoporosis Prevention and Treatment Clinic and the Bone Densitometry service. In 2011-2012, she was the President of the International Society for Clinical Denistometry. She learned lost wax casting from her father-in-law and uses lost wax casting to make jewelry, Christmas ornaments, and small sculptures. She makes molds for things from nature, but also takes impressions of found objects and uses other items such as stamps and candy molds to make waxes. She enjoys casting in a variety of metals and uses a variety of hand-finishing and mass production finishing techniques to finish her pieces. There is more of this artisan's work on this web site. Click here to see it.