10 Questions with Jewelry Designer Keisha Noel

Blayne Macauley March 26, 2015

Funny story. Do you guys remember in the post by Morgan Henzlik when I told you Nikole Morrow-Pettus, my talented makeup artist, reconnected us? Well apparently I have quite the eye for spotting Nikole's work. Last month I was at a meeting called Girls on Fire, and Keisha Noel (though I did not know her name at the time) walked through the door She was glowing. Keisha is a BEAUTIFUL woman, but there was something about her makeup... I knew Nikole did it. Nikole was on maternity leave at the time, so it was a stretch. In fear of appearing totally crazy, I took a gulp of wine and leaned over and said, "Do you by any chance know Nikole Morrow-Pettus?" Keisha's face lit up (more than it already was) as she told me that Nikole was a dear friend and was at her house that morning doing her make up! Keisha had just come from the launch of her jewelry line at Neiman Marcus, and Nikole did her make up for the occasion. I secretly patted myself on the back for my makeup knowledge as I totally fan girl-ed about Nikole. As the conversation progressed, I learned that Keisha and I both loved Nikole, we were both moms, and we both loved jewelry. It wasn't long before I asked her if I could feature her in the 10 Questions series, and she happily agreed! I went to her website and fell in love with her jewelry line, KZ Noel, and I think you will as well.

10 Questions with Kate Long Stevenson

Blayne Macauley March 18, 2015

Abstract artist Kate Long Stevenson lives and works in Charleston, SC. What Kate does so well is represent women. Her paintings seem to capture the core of who the specific woman is, but they also offer universal appeal. Any woman can look at one of Kate's paintings and see their own reflection. That's something I've really come to respect and try to emulate. Someone once wrote a comment on this blog saying they love the way I represent women, which is about the highest compliment I can get. When I was younger, I felt like I was the type of person who was not going to have a lot of women friends, but the older I get the more I love seeing all the beauty and goodness in the women around me. There is something artful and unique in every woman that deserves to be celebrated, and Kate tapped into that and carved a place for herself as someone who can visually represent the essence of what it is to be a woman.

10 Questions with Artist Hailey Lowe Fennell

Blayne Macauley March 10, 2015

It's a family affair here on TPL! Today I'm featuring Hailey Lowe Fennell, daughter of Janey Lowe and sister of Elise Baumann :) Hailey is an extremely talented artist from Atlanta. I met Hailey a few years ago, and she helped me realize my dream of getting artwork into a gallery, for which I will forever be thankful. At that time she was in graduate school at SCAD and doing the most interesting projects.

Hailey now lives and works in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. It's been such a joy to watch her grow and become the artist she is today. She has paintings at Gregg Irby here in Atlanta. She is also an instillation artist and did a fascinating exploration of animal interactions with technology, which became her "Machines of Loving Grace" film and video still series.