COLIN’S CREATURES
Colin Richmond’s expressive porcelain creatures are well known for their attention to detail and heirloom quality.
The artist: Richmond grew up in a creative family in upstate New York, but he has no artistic education. He earned an MBA and worked in the corporate world in New York City for several years before moving to Asheville, N.C.
The company: Colin's Creatures, founded in 1991, is based in Asheville. When it began, Richmond carved mixed-medium angels. He later added miniature animals to his collection.
The materials: Porcelain for the animal's detailed appendages; a woven fur for its tactile appeal from Steiff, the German teddy bear maker; and a cast stone body for stability.
What's popular: The 60 breeds of sheep and lambs ($40 to $200).
Other favorites: Highland cattle ($149 to $199); Scottie puppies ($169); and Nativities ($59 to $749).
What's new: Stoneware. With it he makes cremains urns in the form of a sleeping pet. So far there are eight dog breeds and cats in a variety of colors.
Fun (or unusual) requests: For life-sized sheep and dollhouse-scaled sheep. Both are now part of his collection.
What's next: His work will be featured in an exhibit this fall at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture in Tifton.
Where to buy: colinscreatures.com. In Asheville, at Richmond's studio. For an appointment, call 828-215-6006.
GO BIG
Heather Lancaster’s deep appreciation for the beauty in nature and wildlife is evident in her exquisite, hand-drawn works on paper.
The artist: An Atlanta native, Lancaster grew up in a family of professional artists and graduated from Mary Baldwin College in Virginia with a degree in art history and historic preservation. After college, she lived in New York City, working for John Danzer, founder of Munder-Skiles, a firm specializing in the production of both original and historically inspired garden furniture.
In 1999, she returned to Atlanta to pursue a master’s degree in heritage preservation from Georgia State University, with a concentration in historic landscapes. Lancaster works out of her studio in the Goat Farm Arts Center in West Midtown.
The goods & materials: Works on paper created by layering graphite, charcoal, India ink and sepia. And occasionally, small amounts of watercolor or gauche.
What's popular: In 2017, a series of large-scale pieces ($5,000 to $14,200) inspired by the migration, anatomy, and dances of Sandhill Cranes. The last piece recently sold.
Other favorites: Large-scale ostriches, elephants and egrets. Also, compositions that depict forward movement and direct eye contact. Prices range from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on size and composition.
What's new: An eerie and elegant bird of prey series featuring a variety of owls, hawks and falcons.
Where to buy: Spalding Nix Fine Art (spaldingnixfineart.com) in Atlanta and Camellia Art (camelliaart.com) in Hilton Head, S.C., where Lancaster will have a show May 3 through June 8. To see her work, visit HeatherLancasterArt.com.
NATURE INSPIRED
Atlanta artist Chris Condon hopes his sculpture will help raise awareness of the natural world we live in.
The artist: Condon grew up in Westport, Mass., with an early interest in art. He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in sculpture and spent a year in Italy learning stone carving. Condon moved to Atlanta more than 20 years ago and maintains a studio at the Art Farm at Serenbe.
The goods & materials: Sculpture — including animals, birds and plants — using a combination of wood, stone, bone and other mediums.
What's popular: Birds, by far ($400 and up)
Other favorites: Foxes ($2,200); hives ($1,200 and up); and terrapin shells ($325 each)
Claim to fame: Commissioned to carve the Green Man at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The limestone sculpture is at the entrance of the Children's Garden.
What's next: Maybe a series of bird nests.
Where to buy: ChrisCondonSculpture.com. In Atlanta, at Pollen, 432 E. Paces Ferry Road (pollenatlanta.com). Pollen, a flower and home store, is owned by Condon and his wife, Bonnie.
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