Our Artists' Creative Sparks

I’ve been working with fiber since childhood, learning sewing and needlecrafts at a young age. Many women in my mother’s family loved to sew, and my father’s grandmother was also a skilled seamstress. She painted and had a passion for flower arranging as well.

The first time I sat at a loom, I felt as if I had found exactly where I was meant to be. Though fiber remains a deep love of mine, I also paint and have become fascinated by enameling. I’m captivated by the brilliant effects created when ground glass is transformed through the firing process.

I was introduced to enamels by the mother of a high school friend, who encouraged me to become an artist. Without her support, I’m not sure I would have chosen to major in art. To this day, I think of her every time I work on an enamel project.

Joanne Bossert
rjboss49@gmail.com
404-909-9878

I consider myself a late comer to the artist’s banquet. I retired several years ago and finally had the time to devote to my creative interests.

I have long been inspired by the beauty of the Beaverdam Valley. I spent several years attempting to capture the landscapes through the medium of watercolor. More recently, I transitioned to acrylics in order to explore painting in a more deliberate manner.

This last year I discovered water soluble oil paints and am drawn to experimenting with the works of the Dutch renaissance masters, as well as the Impressionists and Surrealists.

My artistic journey has allowed me to closely observe nature and mindfully render my observations on a two dimensional canvas.

Bob Smedley
rsmedleyart@gmail.com

I’ve always been a maker, drawn to the tactile process of creating with my hands. When I discovered mosaics, something clicked— I found a way to merge my love of nature and foraging with my artistic voice. Some of my favorite materials are the ones I forage while hiking: colorful stone, mica, driftwood, or shells. The materials I gather echo the colors, textures, and spirit of the places I explore, and my mosaics reflect the deep connection I feel to the natural world. Each piece becomes a meditation on nature’s beauty and a way for me to explore the emotions and experience of being human.

Janice Levitt
janicelevittmosaics@gmail.com
janicelevittmosaics.com

I’ve drawn and sketched intermittently throughout my life, but have only recently taken up painting and been willing to put my art “out there.” Thus, I describe myself as an artist rather late to the party.

I’ve lived in three Canadian provinces, Western New York, and Southern California, but have never felt an actual urge to set down my surroundings through making art. Since moving to Asheville twenty-two years ago I feel immersed in the magical beauty of Appalachia.

As a walker, my eyes rove, taking in the land, the sky, flora and fauna, water. Certain scenes just seem so perfect to me that I experience a strong feeling—a need to paint them.

Margot Kornfeld
kornfeld1@gmail.com

My journey as an artist began in the spotlight—touring, teaching, and performing for audiences on stages, streets, and even beneath the tent of a German traveling circus. What drew me in was the current—that electric moment of connection between artist and audience.

Though I’ve transitioned from performer to visual artist, I find the creative process remarkably similar. Working with encaustic paint and monotype printmaking often feels like improvisational theater—intuitive, unpredictable, and alive with possibility. The energy, risk, and discovery that once fueled my performances now informs my visual work.

As I finish each work, I have an opportunity to pause, breathe, and reflect. I hope the calm within these pieces offers a space for connection, where the viewer’s own presence meets mine.

While my audience has changed, the connection remains. Each painting is an offering—an invitation for that current to flow between maker and viewer. No applause echoes through my gallery, but I feel the resonance when a piece connects. That silent moment of recognition keeps me creating.

Susana Abell
susanaabell@gmail.com
susanaabellart.com

My journey with ceramics began in my late twenties while camping in West Virginia. I met an elderly potter nicknamed “Muddy Boots,” who crafted pieces from clay she dug herself. That encounter inspired me to take my first pottery class in Dayton, Ohio—and I instantly knew I’d found my medium.

Life took me in other directions, but nearly 30 years later, on the cusp of retirement, I returned to pottery with renewed passion. Though I never considered myself an artist—I don’t paint, sing, or write poetry—I’ve discovered creative expression through clay, drawing inspiration from the natural world I love to explore through gardening, hiking, and kayaking.

Today, I create functional and decorative ceramics—wheel-thrown, slab-built, and altered forms for home and garden. My work includes bowls, vases, mugs, and lidded jars. I blend traditional pottery with hand-coiled pine needles in what I call Carolina Fusion Pottery, and also craft distinctive horsehair and feather raku pieces.

Kathy Mack
kmack5388@gmail.com
KathyMackPottery.com

I was a maker as soon as I could manipulate found objects with my hands. When I was 4, I found pure joy in a pocket of clay in the creek bank in our yard. I made small animals and clay worm houses and got in trouble when my brother ate the worms. No more clay!

By junior high I made wide coil clay vessels. I took 3D art in high school and created a bronze lost wax sculpture with welded elements, carved an alabaster head, and sold almost all my hand-built ceramic pieces. I was hooked by the making and selling! 

The “art is not a career” message came loud and clear from my science-minded parents. I got a Phd and taught college but gave it up to get back to my soul work, creating stuff! I taught art in many media and in many venues in the past 30+ years while doing my own creative work.

Now in Asheville, I am once again able to make and sell functional and sculptural ceramic pieces, including other media in my work.

Peggy Ann Johnston
pajart@comcast.net
peggyannjohnston.com
408-655-1737