Faces in the Crowd: Artists Among Us

Kristi Smith, silversmith extraordinaire, in her studio and inspired again after a slight lull. Maybe it's spring in the air, or it's the ebb and flow of creativity. Nonetheless, she is overjoyed to be in full force creation mode again. You can see her beautiful, fun work during the warm season at the Telluride Farmers Market. Look for inscriptions of poetry on the back of her pendants. Her wedding rings are simple, elegant masterpieces.

Lara Branca spends most of her awake time in the studio these days - full-time dedication toward her MFA from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. The paintings above are of her assigned still life and landscape studies. In the fall, she'll declare her thesis and begin her independent study, and her work will be free form and self-directed. Lara's excited about the opportunity to paint her horses. We are in for a real treat!