The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Made in the South
Goods at upcoming artists market include natural bowls, cast lace jewelry, ceramics,
Silver & gold
Cary Calhoun, the Atlanta jewelry designer and metalsmith, worked in corporate banking for 15 years before letting her creative side take over.
The designer and background: Calhoun graduated from the University of Georgia with a business degree. While working in corporate banking, she started making jewelry in her spare time. In 1987, Calhoun signed up for her first jewelry class at Chastain Arts Center. She later took classes and attended workshops at places like Spruill Center for the Arts, as well as Penland School of Crafts and John C. Campbell Folk School, both in North Carolina. After her son was born in 1999, Calhoun started making jewelry as more than a hobby.
The company: Atlanta-based Cary Calhoun Designs handcrafts sterling silver, gold and gold-plated jewelry
What’s popular: Filigree earrings ($78); twig earrings in silver and vermeil ($120 and $140); and “link” bracelets ($200 to $300) to wear alone or layer with other bracelets.
Other favorites: Lace cuffs ($450 to $600) because of the story. After Calhoun’s mother died unexpectedly a few years ago, she found some amazing textiles and lace in the attic. After a year of experimentation, Calhoun perfected the process of casting the lace and other textiles to create jewelry, mainly cuffs. Cuffs are cast in brass and then plated, either in sterling silver or 14k gold.
Fun request: Asked by a friend to make a lace cuff from the lace of her daughter’s wedding dress.
Where to buy: Frolic Boutique, 2339 Peachtree Road and 3728 Roswell Road, Atlanta (frolicboutiqueatlanta.com). Also at the Spotlight on Art at the Trinity School (see box). For information, visit www.CaryCalhounDesigns.com.
Instant impact
Paige Kalena Follmann was drawn to art at an early age, but never thought she could make a career of it. Now the marketing-turned-abstract artist is known for her striking use of color, pattern and shape. The artist and background: Follmann, originally from Highland Park in Dallas, Texas, is a graduate of the University of Georgia and trained at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. She began painting to have a creative outlet from her marketing job. Follmann started sharing photos of her work, and soon friends (and eventually clients) were commissioning paintings. In 2015, she launched her website and online shop.
What’s popular: Handpainted, Picasso-esque ceramic vases ($50 to $200).
Other favorites: Abstract figure paintings ($600 to $3,000). Also custom pieces for clients and interior designers.
Big break: Invited to exhibit her work at the Swan Coach House Gallery at the Atlanta History Center a week after launching her website.
Claim to fame: Having one of her paintings hanging in a custom home in the Hamptons.
Where to buy: www.paigekalenafollmann.com. Also at Spotlight on Art at the Trinity School.
Carved in stone
A self-taught stone sculptor, Stephen Hutchins carves oneof-a-kind stone bowls and sculptures, made mostly from found and salvaged materials. The artist and background: Hutchins’ career began in 2004 in the Lakes region of New Hampshire, where his passion for stone led him to architectural stone carving and eventually sculpture. He spent a summer on Whidbey Island in Washington working with the sculptors of the Freeland Art Studio before moving to Tennessee to open his studio in 2014.
The company: Hutchins Stoneworks, based in Nashville, produces art, masonry, and stone carvings. It also offers preservation work. The goods: Free-form stone sculptures from 1 foot to 4 feet ($800 to $4,500). Also bowls carved from stones found along rivers, abandoned quarries, construction sites ($70 to $800). Best-sellers: Natural-edged river rock bowls ($75 to $300), especially granites gathered along the Appalachian Mountain range. Other favorites: Helix-shaped sculptures of various stones and sizes ($600 to $3,500).
Fun request: A birthday gift for a client’s artist sister. Hutchins went out to the 100-year-old family farm where the sisters grew up and picked a rock to carve into a bowl. Claim to fame: Restoring the Nashville City Cemetery and recreating stolen or lost memorials. For one task, he carved a ball finial for the family plot of James Robertson, the founder of Nashville.
Where to buy: www.hutchinsstoneworks.com. Also at Spotlight on Art at the Trinity School.