Yesterday I wrote a post about how challenging and complicated it can be for women to have dreams, let alone step into them. There are five women I’ve been thinking about since I met them two weeks ago, and I want to talk about them.
BUT FIRST, I have to set the stage. My husband and I live in a cute, tiny town. It’s been referred to as one of the “Hallmark towns” in the US. It’s been an incredibly hot summer, and it is just now starting to do that thing where we get little kisses of 60-degree, cloudy autumn weather. The kind that makes me want to curl up in my chair by the window, drink coffee, and watch the leaves change while I read my book. It was that kind of day. We were both excited that it was the weekend and we were heading to the local art fair.
I should also mention that I have been working on a new coaching product line that I’m beyond excited about. It’s about holding space for women to have something that is truly all their own. My research is showing me how deeply women can internalize beliefs that we are here to serve others and be what others want us to be. We are told how we’re supposed to look, how we need to act, and what kinds of choices make us good women. Our bodies, our time, and our futures are subject to an enormous amount of scrutiny. And when we decide those things should belong to us, we risk being called… I think you already know what I’m going to say. Selfish. You can hate me or fight me, but this is what the research is showing me. So this is a space that truly does not already exist for us. We have to make it.
I share all this to explain why I am nerding out about five women and the art they have created. When we got to the art fair, we quickly beelined it for the coffee. While we were in line, I noticed the most beautiful display of autumn flowers. It was like they were spilling over every surface. The word I kept thinking about was… overflow. There was a woman standing near the entrance of the booth, and I kept thinking she looked like she was part of the arrangement. It was difficult to articulate, but here’s the picture so you can understand. I couldn’t help myself and snapped her photo. Then the guilt set in, knowing I wanted to show people how beautiful her setup was. I went up to her and asked if I could take her picture for my social media. I’m sure I was a bit awkward, but she readily agreed. Her name was Ayiana Linn, and she is the creative director of Dogwood Tree Florist. She had created something truly stunning.
The Dogwood Tree Florist at Crozet Art Festival
After that interaction, I felt myself grow bolder. This was fun! Seeing and capturing women and their art. So I made my way to the next booth that captured my attention: Temper and True. That’s where I met Molly. To be honest, what stood out to me about Molly’s work was the “rawness” of her jewelry. It felt rugged and elegant at the same time, if that’s even possible. I asked her to tell me about her work, and she told me that her background was actually in metal forging. She was also a bit uncomfortable on camera (a feeling I assured her I understood well). On her website, she says, “Temper and True came out of a desire to forge a lifestyle along with forging objects; to honor and explore process as well as the finished product… Through fingerprints, brushstrokes, hammer marks and file lines we can connect and communicate across time.”
This sentiment is so clear in her actual work. The combination of carefully sculpted metals and unique gemstones, speaking to earth and fire at the same time. I asked her which piece was most “her.” She picked up a unique silver and turquoise bracelet and showed me the custom clasp she had designed herself. It allowed the wearer to put the bracelet on with one hand and was unlikely to fall off. When I went back through her photos, I noticed the way her hand drifted over her heart when she spoke about her work. She invests her creativity and vitality into the fire and metal.
Molly of Temper and True at Crozet Art Festival
When I left Molly, I moved on to meet Nina Faye. She was hard to miss, to be honest. She was beautiful and vibrant, just like her art. In the middle of her booth was a giant painting of the Appalachian Mountains, created with swirling blues, purples, pinks, and golds. It was like the sunset had been absorbed into the grass and the lake absorbed into the sky. Stunning doesn’t quite capture her work. When I asked Nina what her favorite piece was, she pointed to one next to her. Compared to her vibrant oranges and pinks, this piece was noticeably more subdued. It was all greens and greys. She shared that it came from a particularly special day of painting. She had stood in the James River with her easel and painted what was around her. She showed me photos of that day and her experience.
Nina puts herself into her work. It’s obvious that she has a connection with the things she touches and sees, and she wants to help people experience that connection, too. It’s like I imagine her holding hands with the earth and then reaching out to hold mine. The funny thing about what I just said is that I wrote it before I read this line from her website: “I translate emotions into color and form, painting the unseen connections that bind us. Lost in the flow, I create, then discover – both artist and viewer. This is my art, a bridge between feeling and seeing, the self and the world.” That day, I got to stand in the James River next to her, in a way, and it was beautiful. Even if we never meet again, I feel like we are friends.
Nina Faye at Crozet Art Festival
Next, I had to go visit “The Pottery Chick,” whose real name is Tori Banton. Her work was hard to miss. When I met Tori, I noticed she was dressed entirely in black, which was an interesting contrast to the explosion of color surrounding her. When I asked my new favorite questions, “Tell me about your work” and “What is your favorite piece?” she almost seemed to shrug them off. She pointed out two pieces. One of them, situated right next to her, looked like the ocean had been captured in one massive urn. On the front was a detailed sea turtle surrounded by delicate pink coral and a mossy ocean floor. The water around it faded from light blue to cloudy white. Casually, she mentioned that she had spent an entire summer creating it. She had started by throwing it on a wheel, then hand-building onto it and sculpting the coral, the turtle, and the small fish floating across its glossy surface.
Then she pointed to another, slightly smaller urn that looked like a giant sea anemone, covered in fleshy orange textures that seemed almost alive. Again, she casually mentioned how much she had enjoyed creating it. Tori was such a fascinating person to run into. Her low-key, understated comments seemed almost at odds with the life and imagination surrounding her. Blues and greens and oranges and purples. Complex sea creatures and glossy pottery that collectors with the most refined tastes could only dream of. And when I looked her up on Instagram later, I found that her bio simply reads, “My pottery, my cats, and life in Virginia.” Of course it does. I loved getting to meet her and see the brilliant work she has created in her life.
Tori Banton “Pottery Chick” at the Crozet Art Festival
And finally, I arrived to meet Elena. Her setup was mostly white, creating a beautiful contrast with her neatly organized pieces of jewelry. At first glance, her work was colorful and whimsical, with unusual shapes and sizes. But when I looked closer, I realized that each piece was created by wrapping tiny wires of fine metals into intricate designs around gemstones. Creamy opals, deep black onyx, rich ambers, and stones I’d never seen used in jewelry before. And I’d never seen jewelry created quite like this, either. It’s hard to describe the blend of whimsy and textured precision in her work.
When I asked her to tell me about her jewelry, she mentioned that other jewelers are often surprised by the technique she uses. Each piece takes considerably longer to create because of the intricate wire wrapping involved. Having made jewelry myself in the past, I know how long even simple wire-wrapped pieces can take, and I couldn’t imagine the patience and artistry required to create these unique shapes. As I looked around her table, I realized that no two pieces were the same.
And then I noticed her hand float to her heart when I asked which piece was most “her.” She seemed surprised by the question. Surprised by the interest, actually. She pointed to a prominent showcase piece in front of her, a statement silver necklace combining lighter and darker metals in a V shape, with something resembling a tiger’s eye at the center. I couldn’t help but imagine it being worn by Lady Galadriel from The Lord of the Rings. Elena told me it was one of her most intricate and time-consuming pieces.
Although she didn’t share much about her inspiration, Elena’s work and approach told me something about her. She values complexity and detail, and she invests her heart into each piece. She chooses a technique that takes extraordinary patience because it allows her to create something uniquely her own. I walked away touched.
ElenA McLaughlin and her jewelry at Crozet Art Festival
After visiting the various booths and getting to photograph these incredible women, I followed my husband to the edge of the crowd, where we grabbed a crisp glass of rosé and listened to the bluegrass band sing us into the afternoon. I breathed in the crisp air and felt my eyes well up with grateful tears. I am so damn lucky to be here. To be in this moment, making my own art and dreaming my own dreams.
Thank you so much, Ayiana, Molly, Nina, Tori, and Elena. The work you create is beautiful and expressive. You inspired me, as I’m sure you inspire others who encounter your work. You don’t need to explain it to us. It speaks for itself, and it leaves my eyes brimming in the middle of a crowded park. And there’s something I feel I have to say back to you: “Thank you for dreaming your dream.”
You can check out these ladies and their work on Instagram and on their websites:
Ayiana: https://thedogwoodtreeflorist.com/
Molly: https://temperandtrue.com/, https://www.instagram.com/temperandtrue/
Nina: https://ninafaye.com/, https://www.instagram.com/nina_faye_art/
Tori: etsy.com/shop/potterychicktori, https://www.instagram.com/potterychicktori/
Elena: https://www.elenajewelryart.com/, https://www.instagram.com/elena.g.mclaughlin/
