Candlemaker Lisa Merola
My name is Lisa, and I am a candle maker. I grew up as the youngest of five daughters in Smithfield, Rhode Island. From a very young age, we were always involved in some type of creative project.
Urban Wildlife Photographer Peter Green
My name is Peter Green, I am an urban wildlife photographer and graphic designer.
While I did not begin my journey with birding and photography until adulthood, I was always interested in art and design. My father is a printer, and I remember being in awe of a CMYK film separation he brought home for me when I was a child. I was mesmerized as he explained how the separate colors—cyan, magenta, yellow, and black—mixed to form all the shades of the spectrum. I’m grateful that my father always encouraged creativity.
Ceramicist Michelle Phaneuf
My name is Michelle Phaneuf, and I am a ceramicist.
I was introduced to art as a business at a very young age. As a child, I often accompanied my mother to craft fairs, where I helped her display and sell her beautiful hand-sewn dolls and crafts. In elementary school I took art classes with one of her friends and enjoyed creating with charcoal, watercolor, and oil paints, but then I lost interest and confidence, as so many kids do at that age, and put my pencils and brushes away for a long time.
I went to college at Roger Williams University (RWU) and
Photographer Ross McLendon
My name is Ross, and I am a photographer.
Strangely enough, my introduction to the photography industry came about through musical means. Born in Tennessee, but raised in a devout Christian family in Texas, singing was an important part of my childhood and young adulthood. I began by singing in church choirs, and after discovering a natural affinity, I decided to pursue vocal performance in high school through musical theater and other choir groups. I was fortunate to study under great teachers who showed me the benefits of devoting time and energy to developing my passions so that I could be best prepared for opportunities that arose later in life.
Artisan Soapmaker Hillery Chung
My name is Hillery, and I am an artisan soapmaker.
As a South Korean native, I was raised in Seoul—the capital city in South Korea—and frequently visited my father’s hometown, Dae Chung Do—a small island near the southern side of the 38th parallel. Koreans have a very special relationship with nature; we look at the world as a resource for everything. I have very vivid memories of harvesting food from the garden and the forest, eating wild berries and fruit fresh off the trees, and even catching fish from the depths of the sea
Photographer Kingshuk Bose
My name is Kingshuk Bose, and I am a photographer.
I got involved with this form of art out of a fascination with the camera, and curiosity to discover what I am able to do with this device. Growing up in India, I saw many of my relatives take pictures mostly of family members and friends. However, I always knew there was so much more to photography.
When I came to the United States as a grad student in March 1989, my first major purchase was a Minolta SLR that cost me $350. Back then, photography was a somewhat difficult proposition.
Beekeeper Kate Callahan
My name is Kate Hummel Callahan, and I am a beekeeper.
If you look up the word “keep” in the dictionary, you will see that even though the word has come to mean “retain,” its earliest meaning may have been closer to “lay hold, with attention; to keep an eye on, to watch.” We keep by looking, watching, and becoming more attuned to other creatures and the natural world—this is why bees became a distraction and a passion of mine.
Until a few years ago, I did not know where I belonged in the art world;
Rhode Island Jeweler Milli Cortes
My name is Milli, and I am a leather designer and semi-precious stone jeweler. Born and raised in New York City, I knew I wanted to be an artist ever since I was a little girl, and I was lucky enough to be supported by my family, especially the women… We relocated to Providence, RI, for its strategic placement between Boston and New York.
Mixed-media Artist Laurie Charpentier
My name is Laurie and I am a full-time mixed-media artist.
My whole life I’ve referred to myself as many things: Master Gardener, Horticultural Therapist, Human Resources Director and more, but until recently, I didn’t have the courage to refer to myself as an artist.
Handwoven Items by Maya Cordeiro
MY NAME IS MAYA CORDEIRO, AND I AM A WEAVER
I was raised in a creative and supportive household. My mother was always very crafty, and she often knitted and sewed her own clothes. It was my grandmother who taught me how to sew and knit, though. My carpenter father still works on his many wood projects, and my brother followed in his footsteps and then became a glassblower, as well.
Oil Painter Anne P. Wert
MY NAME IS ANNE P. WERT, AND I AM A PAINTER AND ILLUSTRATOR.
I have been drawn to art since I was a little girl. In elementary school, I was involved in a gifted art program that pulled me out of class once a week to take extra art lessons. I began to explore with pencils and paintbrushes, and I was lucky enough to be surrounded by adults that supported my creativity with positive feedback.
Resin Artist Oindrila Sikdar
Occupying that ambiguous space between fine art and the mundane, functional art represents objects that live beyond the limits of a canvas and that can serve us in some fashion. While fine art may typically refer to works that carry a historical and emotional sensibility, functional art infuses these ideas into things that you might never have expected to view as art, like, say, a coffee mug, or a serving bowl. I want to show people that this blend of fine art, craft, and function is an authentic artistic expression.
Photographer & Jeweler Nancy Reid Carr
After receiving my degree, I tried everything from baby photography to equestrian photography. I discovered metal printing: printing my photographic work on metal sheets that gave the images a gleam that paper printing could never achieve. Prints of images I captured on early morning walks along beaches and at botanical gardens were accepted into a couple of shows, and I even started exploring some figurative work.