Amanda Cook

I am inspired by the beauty of nature and painting flowers feels like meditation. I love capturing the vibrant colors and perfect imperfection of every leaf and petal. The inability to fully control watercolor allows me to be present and constantly in awe of the magic it can create. After graduating with a BFA in […]

Annette Centofanti

I call the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina my forever home. I am originally from Western New York via many years in south Florida. I am inspired by color, textures, nature, facial expressions of human and animal muses. My favorite mediums are clay and mixed media paintings. Clay is an amazing medium to create […]

Bethany Cullen

Haywood County has been home to my family for many generations. Being born and raised in Waynesville I was blessed to be able to be a product of the Central Elementary, Waynesville Middle School and Tuscola High School Art Departments where I had the best Art teachers I could ever have. I currently hold an […]

Janet Steinke

bear quilt

Janet moved to Waynesville a few years back from Michigan. A quilter for over 25 years, Janet has led a 475-member quilt guild in Grand Rapids, Michigan and helped establish a new quilt guild in Holland, Michigan. She became interested in the HCAC Quilt Trails Program both as a previous engineer and project management professional, […]

Tonya Harwood

I have lived in WNC for over 25 years. This place has my heart, and is why I continually paint the breathtaking landscapes all around us.  When in my studio, I am always trying to recapture beauty, using photos taken while out in nature as reference; colorful reflections off of the lake, sunset from the […]

John Highsmith

I grew up in Asheville, did a residency in Baltimore for a year and realized that I wanted to live in the mountains of Western North Carolina.  I’ve been taking photos for almost 50 years and scuba diving for over 25 years. I put them together in 2007 taking underwater photos in the ocean and […]

Lisa Conard

My husband and I live here in the Bethel area of Canton.  I grew up in Asheville but spent many special moments with my grandparents here in Canton through the years. I draw inspiration from nature, other creators and makers.   From early on I collected the pottery made by others and when finally having […]

Amanda Kay Anders

My greatest strength as an artist is a love of learning and willingness to incorporate new ideas and techniques into my art.  I can adapt my art for many different audiences, including commercial and illustrative design, sequential art, or fine art.  I love to incorporate hints of each into my different styles as well, including […]

Rose Hardesty

Bio: Rose Hardesty is a visual artist who was born in Ventura, CA, and is currently living and working in Asheville, NC. She creates functional and sculptural wood fired ceramic pieces inspired by the natural world and informed by imagination. Her work seeks to marry seemingly disparate elements of the art and craft world, blurring […]

John Gilbert

John Gilbert has a solid background in graphic design and painting. He has experimented with the major media – oils, pastels, pen and ink and watercolor – and finds watercolor his favorite. A graduate of The Florida State University with a BA in Fine Arts, Gilbert presents his work in galleries, in juried shows and […]

Nory Lopez

As a native Floridian, I was given the opportunity to paint my surroundings. I would paint using acrylics or oil depending on what the painting would be. I moved to Waynesville in January and find myself blessed at all the painting opportunities I see. Although portraiture of old classic Hollywood is my forte I am looking […]

Jo Martiel Wallace

Originally from South Georgia, I spent 32 years in South Florida before relocating to Haywood county. For someone who is inspired by nature, it is a wonderfully refreshing start to a new journey. Painting was a medium I played around with off and on over the years, with little satisfaction in what I was creating. […]

Laurey Faye Dean

My pots are purposefully pretty, lyrical & narrative, visual poems to the southern Appalachians. The motifs reflect the plants, animals & landscapes of these mountains. I am inspired by Mark Trail comics, Palissey, (the French Potter of the 1500s), and historic American Art Pottery. My training includes a BFA from UGA, an AA from HCC, […]

Ugly Boy Flutes, Bob Child

Yes, it’s an unusual name for such a beautiful and spiritual instrument, but I am here thanks to “The Original Ugly Boy” which was, truth be told, ugly.  But it played, bold and loud, and my excitement level was electrified as I began honing my craft since that day in July, 2002.  Mine is a […]

Bob Child Photography

I’ve had a passion for photography for well over 40 years, and absolutely love living in Haywood County.  That passion combined with my love of every facet of nature, inspires me to find the “extraordinary” in the “ordinary”.  Maybe it’s a fleeting moment where I took but a single frame…or maybe it’s looking in close […]

Samantha Nelson

My name is Samantha Nelson and I work mainly with acrylic paints. I draw most of my inspiration from the natural views that surround my home in Maggie Valley. My desire is that my paintings instigate an emotional response based on color and personal experience. How you feel in the moment, affects how you interpret […]

Haidee Wilson

“ The secret to a good painting is falling in love.”    Art is a way expressing the joy and love of my Canadian French heritage, my roots. It has given me a deep sense of belonging. Through my own self-exploration, it tells a story of connectivity as a woman. Catalysts to these creative expressions […]

Christine Schlageter

Art has always been in my background, and I enjoyed drawing since early childhood. Trained in professional portrait photography I moved to this country from Germany in 1971 to the Asheville area. I am self-taught and specialize in acrylics on canvas. Some of my favorite subjects are animals and florals but also machinery and architecture.I […]

Jason Pierson

Originally from Michigan, I have lived in Western North Carolina for nearly 20 years. I am inspired by the strong tradition of Southern craft, blending traditional quilt blocks and piecing techniques with a modern, confident, graphic style. A major focus of my work is on sustainable materials and practices. I use exclusively organic cotton (fabric […]

Betty Lee Guyer

I was raised in South Florida and did not start painting until 1984 while living in western North Carolina. I am primarily self-taught and I love to paint with oils. My inspiration comes from anything that touches my heart and makes me feel that I just have to paint it. I recently started using acrylics […]

Thomas Payne

 Originally from Ohio, with a stop in Northern Kentucky throughout my working career in commercial printing. Relocated to the mountains of Western North Carolina ten years ago embarking on a new adventure. The mountains and wildlife of the Smoky Mountain region allow a never-ending inspiration to showcase my talent through visual art.  I have always […]

Anne Crook

I have always been a maker and get excited about whatever I am creating.  It is usually quilting, dying fabric, or eco printing.  I am always drawn to natural materials.  My quilts often have leaves, trees, or are landscapes. The last several years I have been eco-printing.  I love trying different techniques, the chemistry, and […]

Dori Settles

image of original art by Dori Settles, glass toddler shoe titled Baby Steps, resting on a glass leaf

Dori Settles was born in southeastern Wisconsin and raised her family in eastern Nebraska where she worked as a sign language interpreter for several years before discovering the medium of glass. Settles moved to North Carolina with her husband and two dogs in 2021, after discovering a glass studio nestled in the forest near Penland. […]

Alice Herring

Alice Herring is a North Carolina native, albeit eastern North Carolina. She moved to Waynesville after her retirement in 2013. She enjoys nature through gardening, hiking, walking, and bird watching.  Glances of the majestic mountains, roaring streams, clear lakes, blue and cloudy skies, and the rich artistic community in Western North Carolina inspire her art […]

Wanda Ann Kinnaman

The open spaces and quiet places of nature best describe the inspiration behind my encaustic mixed media work that seeks to make connections between humankind and the environment through the exploration of spaces and places. My creativity is motivated to seek and reflect upon the discoveries of solitude and healing I find in my journeys. […]

Char Avrunin

“He guides my brush as well as my life.”Char Avrunin is an award-winning artist who follows her Creator in developing oil portraits on canvas and flame painting on copper. Working out of Waynesville, NC, her work can be found in corporate and private collections. Char has a Masters in Educational Communications, 5-year Bachelors in Visual […]

Amanda Taylor

Amanda Taylor was born and raised close to the Canadian Rockies in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  Her love of the outdoors, and photography, inspires her to create unique interpretations in kilnformed glass. “My work explores the expressive possibilities of glass through variation in color, texture, light, and atmosphere. By drawing inspiration from nature, I use my glass work […]

Karen Stockwell

As a quilter, years ago I began embellishing my smaller works with beads and ephemera. That led to making bead embroidered jewelry, where beads and stones are sewn on by hand.  The colors and textures of textiles and stones intrigue me.  Inspiration is found all around, in nature, in music, in the play of sunlight […]

Laura Parker

As a lifelong artist I’ve worked in a variety of media but for several years have focused on painting in oil, for its softness and malleability, and gouache, for its opacity and portability. I’m especially drawn to capturing a moment, feeling or the likenesses of places and individuals I’ve encountered in my travels. My recent […]

Nancy Gamon

Fabric is arranged in dyeing pans and covered with a layer of ice cubes. Fiber reactive powdered dye is sprinkled on top. As the ice melted, soft tendrils of color seep into the fabric, creating one-of-a-kind surprising designs.

Carol Roden

My fascination with glass began decades ago with my grandmother’s cookie tin full of marbles, and it continues today as I use heat to fuse and shape various forms of glass into beautiful and functional objects! The unique properties and color intensity of glass give me the creative opportunity to indulge the constant inspiration of […]

Donna M. Mankus

My purpose as an artist is to capture the essence of what I see and translate that into something that the viewer can also experience. My paintings represent not only actual landscapes but also unique experiences. When I paint there are no distractions. I am in a state of intense concentration on the present.  This […]

Hannah Burnisky

Hannah Burnisky creates woodland-inspired ceramic wares as the artist of Cold Mountain Ceramics. Hannah has lived in the Asheville area her whole life and moved to Canton in 2017 with her family. She finds endless inspiration in these Blue Ridge Mountains and is excited to be sharing space with other talented local artists at Cold […]

John P. Nelson

John Nelson has been the owner of Viking Stained Glass for over 25 years, creating leaded stained glass for over 30 years. He first learned and fell in love with the trade at a commercial stained-glass studio. After working there for five years, he eventually formed his own company in Charlotte, NC. John has created […]

Pamela Winn

I began my art hobby 35 years ago in oil painting in Atlanta GA.  When moving to Florida in 1994, watercolor was the popular medium, so I had to switch. In 2008, I took my first silk coloring/dyeing class, and I was hooked.  I was only able to work on my craft during the weekend, […]

Joyce Schlapkohl

Joyce describes her style as painterly realism in oil. She strives for clear color, a strong focal point, and a good design. “Living in Western N. C. provides all the subject matter one could ever desire. We are surrounded by our beautiful natural world.”  She paints the landscape, flowers, animals, still life, and any subject […]

Madelaine Hairrell

With a career in graphic art, telling a story with words and images has always compelled me to communicate visually. Starting out early on with a hands-on drawing approach and experiencing the changes of technology on my graphics work through the years has been exciting but has also made me hunger for handmade work again.  […]

Charles Paine III

My work explores romantic love through tradition, religion, or landscapes. I particularly enjoy capturing celebratory moments from different cultures. As a Unitarian, I love to meet different people from across the world. I have lots of foreign friends, some of whom posed for the oil paintings in this gallery. I find people from different cultures […]

Craig Escude

Glass offers colors, depth, translucence and fluidity that speak to me and help me speak to others. I have worked with glass since 2001 creating pieces with a balanced asymmetry that are meant to capture both the eye and the heart. Using stained glass or fused glass techniques, I seek to compose pieces that invite […]

Michele Escude

M. Escude

While connecting with the glistening light on a body of water or on a mountainlandscape patiently waiting for the colors of a sunset, I realized my deep desire to interpret these moments through my art. Having been raised in New Orleans, I developed a love for art in all of its forms. Because of that […]

Judy Rentner

Judy loves the light. She is captivated by how light and dark interplay to form patterns and designs that make even the mundane magical. Although primarily a landscape painter, she paints whatever stirs her emotionally, and by presenting the thing created, may in some measure, reveal the Creator Himself. Graduating with a Bachelor of Fine […]

Lauren A. Medford

My work addresses the aesthetics of flamboyance, glamour, and attitude to express the “camp” sensibilities in popular culture. These concepts are explored through the selection of subject matter that underscores the campiness in popular culture and everyday life. Reoccurring themes in my work include camp, color, excess, flamboyance, and mock-glamour.