“SHe who works with her hands is a laborer. She who works with her hands and her head is a craftsman. SHe who works with her hands and her head and her heart is an artist.”
- St. francis of assisi
ARTists & INSTRUCTORS
BARBARA ZIEV • Founder • ARTIST • INSTRUCTOR
Barbara is a self-taught artist who specializes in abstract and mixed-media art. With a passion for fearlessly exploring the boundaries of creativity, Barbara has embarked on a remarkable journey of self-discovery through art.
Through experimentation and an intuitive approach, she has honed her skills in creating a body of work that is both visually captivating and emotionally evocative.
LISA JOHNSON • ARTIST • INSTRUCTOR
Lisa Johnson earned her BFA from Miami University and her MFA in Metalsmithing & Jewelry Design from Indiana University. Her training continued through scholarships at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts and Haystack Mountain School of Craft, where she served as a teaching assistant to Kiff Slemmons, and an artist residency at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.
She went on to lead jewelry and metalsmithing programs as Director of Studio Arts at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta, FL, and later as Director of Jewelry & Metalsmithing at the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, FL. Today, she continues to build her studio practice through exhibitions, workshops, and custom commissions.
LEESA GORDON • RESIDENT ARTIST, ENCAUSTICS
Leesa Gordon began her creative career at age 9, directing disinterested playground schoolmates in original short skits. She graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Communications, followed by a 40 year career as an award winning news reporter, advertising copywriter, and documentary film writer and producer. Her lifelong love of photography is now being explored through the prism of encaustic collage.