The Artist’s Touch

To say that Peachtree City has talent would be an understatement.
Beautifully skilled singers, talented chefs, extraordinary musicians, classically trained dancers--we certainly know how to shine bright here. This month the Southern Hands Artist Studio Tours (SHAST for short) is bringing their 2020 Tour to highlight seven of PTC’s most colorful crew.

SHAST is an annual tour of artists’ studios in the South Metro Atlanta Area. Some studios are open to the public while others are doing a virtual experience for 2020. The brain-child of ceramic artist Andrea Faye Boswell, she wanted to showcase all the fine artists who call South Metro Atlanta home. The experience is completely free and is growing year after year.

Peachtree City is well represented with a variety of artistry ranging from a clay artist to a Saori weaver. Take a look at this incredible roster of talent:

1. Andrea Faye- clay artist

What started as a six-week pottery course blossomed into 20 years of passion. Andrea has studied under great clay artist and continues to perfect her craft. Her studio is filled with one-of-a-kind pieces you can purchase on her tour. She is also an emerging jewelery artist who creates handcrafted jewelry. And yes, she’s the one who established SHAST back in 2013! To learn more about Andrea and her tour visit:
https://www.shastour.com/andrea-faye-boswell.htm and https://www.shastour.com/andrea-faye---jewlery.html


2. Caitlin Collins- charcoal artist

Caitlin believes it is never too late to start creating art, and we agree. Six months ago she began her art journey through acrylic painting, watercolor painting, graphite drawing, and charcoal drawing. To learn more about Caitlin and her tour visit:
https://www.shastour.com/caitlin-collins.html


3. Carla Cook-Smith - mixed media artist and author

An award-winning photographer, author of 14 published books, and painter, Carla’s talent is a treat to take in. Through her work in watercolor for a piece titled “Waiting for the Train,” she’s also been able to raise over $100,000 nationwide in support of breast cancer awareness. To learn more about Carla visit:
https://www.shastour.com/carla-cook-smith.html


4. Denise Prince- Saori weaver

An award-winning jewelry designer, Denise took an interest into fiber arts which lead her on a journey to become the incredible Saori weaver she is today. She credits Saori weaving to bringing her a fresh new outlook on life and art. You won’t want to miss her studio tour. Learn more about it and Denise by visiting:
https://www.shastour.com/denise-prince.html


5. Gail Jensen - fused glass artist

Gail began her journey as a glass artist in 1997 after being inspired as a young girl by her mother who created pottery and mosaics. Her use of colors and textures make for beautiful pieces that you can see firsthand on her tour. To learn more about Gail visit:
https://www.shastour.com/gail-jensen.html


6. Hanley Lewis - woodturner

After years of creating pottery, stained glass, and photography, a woodturning class changed Hanley’s art journey immediately. He loves to find new and interesting ways to show off the natural beauty of wood and challenge himself along the way. You can learn more about Hanley and his tour by visiting:
https://www.shastour.com/hanley-lewis.html


7. Manasi Joshi - wood burning

Manasi has had a passion for art and drawing since she was a child. During a festival in 2015, she chatted with a woodworking vendor who saw her picture of Henna applied on wood and peaked her curiosity in wood burning. The rest is history. Mansai’s creations are heavily influenced by henna in her pyrography projects and they are absolutely stunning. Learn more about her and her studio tour by visiting:
https://www.shastour.com/manasi-joshi.html