Mark Hicks
Hicks is a photographer and digital artist in Harrodsburg, where he owns mgallery, a formal portrait and event photography studio.
"I have seen a substantial increase in the appreciate of digital art in the last few months," Brown says. "Mark's large digital prints are appealing because of his bold use of color in abstractions."
Fox Hutt
Hutt says she's always been attracted to art with function.
"I create colorful, hand-woven rugs, table runners, pillows and a variety of handbags in unique designs," she explains. "Each piece is created by hand from beginning to end."
Hutt, a fiber artist and owner of Lacetree Weaving, has been weaving in her current style for more than 20 years. She apprenticed with a professional weaver, with whom she learned to weave using strips of wool cloth.
She is a juried member of the Kentucky Crafts Marketing Program, and lives on a 70-acre farm in Boyle County.
"Fox is one of the best-known textile artists in Kentucky," Brown says. "Her colors range from traditional browns and blues to the use of contemporary patterns of primary colors against black."
Kelly Stone
Stone began college as an art major. He decided to continue his art interests on his own and graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1996 with a business agree. His knowledge and abilities in art have been self-taught through trial and error.
His artworks include charcoal drawing, painting, pastels, woodworking, metal work and glass.
"Glass has captivated me because of the endless possibilities with color, light and technique," Stone says.
He currently has a small glass studio behind his home in Lexington, and hopes eventually to have a larger studio that will be open to the public.
"From sculptures to wall hangings, Kelly is one of the most versatile glass artists I've seen," Brown notes. "His bowls and platters are filled with explosions of color."
Barry Morrison
Danville artist Morrison began painting after a series of life-changing events in 2005. After experimenting in a variety of artistic styles and techniques, Morrison emerged as an abstract expressionist artist with a distinctive style.
His works are in many private collections as well as the permanent art collections of the Markey Cancer Center and The Cathedral of Christ the King in Lexington; the Huntington Museum of Art; St. Catharine College; and Eastern Kentucky University.
"Spatters and threads of color are the hallmarks of Barry's large paintings," Brown says. "His passion for expression is evident in his artwork."
Barbara Bugg
A Louisville native who earned a degree in art from Centre College and a master's degree in education from the University of Louisville, Bugg recently retired after a 30-year career as a public school art teacher.
Bugg's own art career has led her to explore watercolor, oil painting and basketry. She has served as a consultant for the publishing of an art text by Glencoe Publishing, and her artwork has been juried into shows in Kentucky, New Mexico and North Carolina.
"Both the human form and plant life have always fascinated me," Bugg says. "I like to change reality, at times just playing with colors and other times progressing to a distortion of the shapes in my composition. When I choose to distort reality, my goal is to rearrange and morph the shapes in such a way that the shapes create an energy that stimulates our thoughts."
Says Brown, "Barbara experiments with color and shape to produce intriguing paintings that might range from a canvas in ice blue to a canvas filled with an interplay of various colors."
Peg Edwards
A resident of Bardstown, Edwards works in oils, acrylics, pastels, and pen and ink, with an interest in abstracts, portraits, landscapes and murals. Her style is punctuated by texture and the counterbalance of bold designs with delicate lines and patterns, and hidden details. Current works revolve around a Caribbean theme, with inspirations from nature, dreams and books she has read.
Edwards has painted murals for a number of businesses. Her paintings are included in private collections throughout Kentucky.
"Peg's bold strokes and deep, rich colors make her paintings the most dramatic artwork in the gallery," Brown notes.
Information compiled by Jennifer Brummett.
