Lisa Crisman, Maryland Heights, MO

Drawing/Printmaking | www.LeftEarArt.com

St. Louis artist Lisa Crisman grew up in the small Midwestern town of Bowling Green, Mo. “My mother is an artist, my grandmother was an artist, and an artist is what I’ve always wanted to be,” she said. “Being creative has always been an important part of my life. I live and breathe art, and dream about it when I’m supposed to be sleeping.”

Crisman’s art has been juried into many prestigious fine art fairs and exhibitions across the country, and her paintings hang in businesses and private collections throughout the nation. She is passionate about using bold and vibrant color in her work, which has been described as “intensely energetic” and “full of rhythm.”

Roberta Elliott, Cobden, IL

Decorative Blacksmithing | www.velvethammerltd.com

Roberta Elliott is a blacksmith working in an organic style with a nature theme, using mild steel and pipe. This hollow material gives an impression of mass without the actual weight and provides an additional surface (the interior) with its own potential to be worked. It is a form that requires a gentle and patient hammer blow so it doesn’t collapse.

“There is something wonderfully indescribable about the energy exchange that takes place while blacksmithing. The heat from the fire and the force of the hammer’s blow feed and energize me,” Elliott explained. “The versatility of mild steel allows it to take the bold shapes usually associated with ironwork, as well as the soft, feminine lines for which I strive.”

Nena Potts, Rogersville, MO

Handcrafted Jewelry | www.nenapotts.com

Nena Galloway Potts is a Missouri-born artist, metalsmith and jeweler who resides in the Ozark woods. Inspired by her rural woodland surroundings, she is fascinated with nature and the endless variety of colors, patterns and textures that abound. Her original jewelry designs in gold, silver, copper, brass and Niobium range from the contemporary to the whimsical.

Potts received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Metals and Jewelry design from Southwest Missouri State University in 1978. She was chosen to create Christmas ornaments for the White House Christmas tree and the Missouri official Christmas tree in the historic governor’s mansion, and has participated in countless art exhibitions and shows over the last 26 years.

Tatyana Roberts, O’Fallon, IL

Oils/Acrylics | www.tatyanasfineart.com

Tatyana Roberts was born in Russia and immigrated to America in 2000. She started her professional training at the age of 11 years old, later completing her art education at the art college in the city of Yoshkar-Ola, Russia, and earned a degree in Fine Arts and Interior Design.

For the past few years Roberts has been doing mostly Plein Air painting in oil, but has been working in other media when the mood strikes. Her works can be found in Europe and America.