Zak Ashburn
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2010

As an artist I don’t like to define myself in ways that limit other people's perception of my artwork, because I work through so many mediums in my practice I can’t really claim to be any one thing. I can however claim myself and my work. My name is Zak and this is how I think about my artistic practice. When I started making art ten years ago I could only see myself as a ceramic artist and I was really good at that, but I started to feel boxed in by that label and where I was in life. So I took some steps back and some steps in different directions and now I am so many other things; I am a multimedia artist and my artwork reflects that. My practice can incorporate aspects of metalworking, ceramics, woodworking, and photography. Most of my recent work has been large sculptural ceramic vessels but I am very passionate about the metalwork and casting in my artistic practice and love to push the boundaries of what I can cast with.

As I’ve grown over the years so has my practice, but one thing that connects all of my pieces is the level of conceptuality that I put into my work. To name a few themes that I like to work with in my pieces I like to touch on concepts of identity, sexuality, human connection, gender, and racial experience, I look to what's around me for inspiration and most of the time the best topics come from my experience. It is important to me as an artist to produce work that has substance and that evokes some kind of emotional response in the viewer because I am sharing something largely personal.

As an artist I want to make meaningful pieces that speak about my experiences and identity and hopefully touch others who can relate to what I speak about with my work. My practice is a very cathartic experience for me, each time I make something it feels like I’m letting go of something that I’ve held close. By nature I am a very introverted person and I’ve found that I make art about myself to relate better to others and the world around me, and really I only wish for other people to do the same with these little public pieces of myself.

Reach out to me if you have any questions about a piece or want to talk about a commission.

ashburn648@gmail.com

https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Zak-Ashburn/27E67A5BFD5FF218

https://www.instagram.com/zak.ashburn/?img_index=1

Courtney Barry
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2007

Owner at Space Bar - Knoxville
March 4, 2021 - Present

Owner at Bit Burger - Knoxville
August 7, 2020 - Present

Owner at Token Game Tavern - Knoxville
2017 - Present
www.facebook.com/tokenbar www.tokenknoxville.com

Brianna Bass
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2009

Brianna Bass (1990) earned her MFA from Yale School of Art in 2022, and BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2013. She has presented in lectures with Missouri State University, Pratt Institute, and Yale University. She has exhibited work nationally and internationally at Missouri State University, Jeffrey Deitch Gallery (NY), Latchkey Gallery (NY), Noh-Art in Naples, Italy, and Tree Art Museum in Beijing, China. She co-founded Mineral House Media, an artist-run platform designed to enrich emerging artists’ practices through exhibitions and an engaged online media archive. She currently resides in Hartford, CT and is represented by Latchkey Gallery.

Katie Brobst
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2006

Painter - Educator - Illustrator - Designer - Design Thinking
Owner at Kate & Co. Studio

As a child, I was surrounded by creative people. My mom was a quilter and owned her own business, my dad had his normal job but would work on carpentry projects on the weekends, and I have three big sisters who were all creative in their own ways. The shop that my mom owned was just down the hill from my elementary school so when the school day was over, she would walk up to pick me up, and I would spend my afternoons surrounded by beautiful fabrics, paints, and other craft supplies. This was a little girl’s dream.

My name is Katie Brobst, and I am a small business owner of Kate & Co. Studio, an art and education studio. Currently residing in beautiful Chattanooga, TN, my craft includes illustration, painting, and visual design. I decided to open my own business when I was just out of college and had too many paintings stacking up. I figured what could it hurt to start selling my art? I didn’t have much of a direction at first, but instead created what I thought would help me make money. In time, over the past 10 years, I have refined my style to create a cohesive brand and image for myself and my business.

After moving to Chattanooga from Knoxville about 9 years ago, I found myself involved in the music community in town (specifically bluegrass). I would go to events and paint my normal art when someone suggested I do a music-related painting since there were always artists wandering about. I did, and that opened up a huge door for my business. I have been painting musical instruments for about 6 years now. Everything I do is done on old barn wood or recycled wood from various places. I will sometimes work off of a photo someone gives me so I can get all of the little details in that I can. I have expanded to doing jewelry as well on recycled leather pieces.

My main “job” at my company is working as a designer creating products, branding, and other graphic design materials. I also volunteer as an art teacher bringing art to a local middle school. My passion is in teaching, and as a former teacher, I am looking forward to getting back into the classroom again someday. In the meantime, I am working on illustrating various children’s books and just had the first one I illustrated published just a few weeks ago.

https://canvasrebel.com/meet-katie-

https://www.facebook.com/KateAndCoStudio

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-brobst-4a6b0633/

Jordan Butzine
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2013


Butzine Ceramics

Inspired by a teacher, a Knoxville potter creates wood-fired work
It was Love that brought Jordan Butzine to pottery. Wendie Love, that is. In fact, Butzine credits the Farragut High School art teacher with keeping him in school.

“I had dropped out of high school and showed up in the art room to pick up my art. She told me that some of my work was on exhibit at the Knoxville Museum of Art. And then she practically dragged me to the guidance counselor and got me enrolled in classes again. She’s the reason I have a high school diploma and went back to college later. I’ve gotten opportunities because of the art history knowledge she taught me. And she was great at problem solving. She taught me the art of working at art.”

After high school, life got busy and Butzine drifted away from pottery. He was in college at the start of the pandemic and for months was isolated from classmates. “I was going crazy. Then I saw Wendie Love was teaching a class at Mighty Mud. I took it and I’ve been hooked ever since.” Mighty Mud is the artist-operated ceramics studio in Happy Holler from which he now works.
Butzine mainly uses wood to fire his pottery, a technique borrowed from the Japanese that requires stoking the kiln for an average of about 30 hours. As the wood burns, ash settles on the pottery and turns it to glass. “It creates variations on the surface,” he says. “Different curves will get different patterns of ash and flame.” Sappy wood, like pine, tends to create the most interesting finished pieces.

When he’s not creating cups and bowls as well as commissioned pieces like light fixtures and fountains, Butzine works at McQueen Pottery in Maryville, the ceramics studio that makes dinnerware for Blackberry Farm.

“I guess I just like playing in the mud,” he says. You can find his work on Etsy and Instagram, @butzineceramics.

https://cityviewmag.com/fired-up/
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ButzineCeramics?page=2#items

Lindsay Calhoun
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2006

Freelance Graphic Designer
Brooklyn, New York

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-calhoun/

https://cargocollective.com/lindsaycalhoun

https://www.instagram.com/linds.calhoun/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-calhoun/

Jennifer Harris
Prior Student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2002

Industrial Designer / CMF / Softgoods

Rhode Island School of Design

Color Material Finish Specialist
Highball Design - Santa Cruze, CA
Tokyo, Japan

Lover of color, pattern, and texture. Researcher of materials. Designer of functional wares. Champion of quality.
California, USA and Tokyo, Japan.
Learning Japanese!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfUmS2wvvGZ/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferharris6/

Daniel Huxtable
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2009

Daniel Huxtable is a Knoxville Tennessee native. He studied ceramics at East Tennessee State University, where he received his bachelors in Art. He started working with clay at a young age of 13. His mother let him take a class at a small studio in West Knoxville. From there he continued to dabble in the medium till he started High School at Farragut. Wendie Love, the teacher at Farragut inspired him to further his education. From there he attended Pellissippi State, University of Tennessee, and finally East Tennessee State. Daniel draws inspiration from nature. His favorite form is the mug. He makes mugs that depict fish from local waterways and abroad. He is not a good fisher and therein lies the irony of the subject matter. His firing methods are a mix of throwing and altering on the wheel, use of slips, and underglazes to achieve a multi-layered aesthetic. He also does sculptural work in the wood kiln allowing the kiln to give his work a unique and multi-sided finish.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUREnYKDUt4/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/people/Huxtable-Pots/100068408311775/?paipv=0&eav=AfZPowXZ3f2pSzDfhwdeL7r0ktJTvLm2cZwZlr-Av526InHaE6ujYy5ehET1aFs_LEs&_rdr

https://www.etsy.com/shop/HuxtablePots?ref=hdr_shop_menu

The Artist James
Prior Student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2007

https://www.theartistjames.com/

https://www.instagram.com/theartistjames/?hl=en

Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2009

Meraki Pottery

Mama Meraki - Potter/Designer/mama—————————

www.etsy.com/shop/merakidesignstn

Nick Kessler
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2003

My name is Nicholas John Kesler.

I threw my first pot as a senior at Farragut High School in Knoxville, Tennessee and was hooked. Thanks Wendie Love!

At Taylor University in Upland, Indiana I was mentored by Craig Moore through whom I was able to spend countless hours at the potters' wheel. Thanks Craig Moore! I don't think I ever took a wheel throwing class, but I cut my chops for a few years. I constantly fired up the raku kiln and blew through so much propane.

My son Rhett was born in 2007, and I took some time away from clay until 2009 or so when my father Bruce and I built a wheel together. We took a motor my friend Dave Grant gave me from a tool and die shop in Marion, Indiana and used the 4 generations of cabinet making experience to fabricate a wooden structure to hold all the parts. Thanks Papa Bones!

None of this would be possible without my lovely wife Laura, for she kicked the ferrets out and let me turn the front porch into a studio in Hammond, Indiana. Then I took over most of the Burlap Bungalow with Pottery and woodworking Things. Thanks my darling bride!

Back in Indiana, George Tessman of GTglassworks is my wife's uncle. He took one look at my kiln and decided I should use one of his kilns instead. Thanks George!

Now we live in Lakewood, WA.

https://www.instagram.com/njkclay/?hl=en

Emily Key
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2000

knoxville, tennessee artist. currently taking commissions.

https://www.instagram.com/emilykeyart/

Lividity Pottery
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2011

Each item is handmade, takes me many hours, and I am a one-woman show. I want everyone to love their pieces and get plenty of use out of them.

https://www.lividitypottery.com/

Metal Merchants Market NYC 9/23

Vincenza LoBello
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2009

Chicago, IL
Co-owner @artcamp_chicago

Art Camp Chicago
Community Center
Art camp is a Pilsen studio rental + artist collective offering affordable spaces, a supportive network, and workshops for the community

https://www.artcampchicago.com/

https://candidfare.com/vincenza-lobello/

Vincenza LoBello - Real Estate
«« Chicago, IL 🏙️ »»
🏘️ Real Estate Broker @ Westward360

Lydiah Merritt
Prior Student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2010

Marketing Manager who specializes in elevating entrepreneurs in the community and makin’ colorful, vintage inspired prints (and jewelry.)

thecreativemerritt@gmail.com

Marketing Director - United Way of East TN Highlands

Founder - Hustle & Co · Self-employed
Hustle & Co. is a creative marketing and design service dedicated to serving passionate entrepreneur

Rachel Milford
Prior Student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2002

Cattywampus Puppet Council - Founder

Rachel Milford is a Knoxville artist, cultural organizer, & Executive & Artistic Director of local arts nonprofit Cattywampus Puppet Council. Cattywampus has brought parades, theater, play, and giant puppets to communities across East TN & the South, utilizing the arts as a vehicle for helping communities to tell their stories, build relationships with one another and cultivate power, joy, & creativity.
https://cattywampuspuppetcouncil.com/

https://tedxutk.com/rachel-milford-shelagh-leutwiler

https://www.themakercitysummit.org/rachelmilford

https://insideofknoxville.com/2023/08/cattywampus-puppet-council-growing-community-with-art/


cattywampuspuppetcouncil@gmail.com
865-300-3736

Courtney Ott - Wild Fire Ceramic
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2009

Hey friend, I'm Courtney.
I spend most days playing in the mud in western North Carolina (whether it's making pottery or chasing waterfalls depends on the day)
My work is hand painted with unique designs that bring a little magic to the mundane!
I'm always making new stuff, so stay in touch and come back to visit.

https://wildfireceramic.com/

Eric Sherwood
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2008

Clay, Drawing, Installation, Literary arts, Mixed media, Musician, Oil, Pastel, Photography, Printmaking, and Video arts

ericsherwoodasia@gmail.com

Roshani Trivedi
Prior Student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2019

The "a" is silent. Auburn Industrial Design graduate 2022. Design consultant at Closet Factory in Alcoa, TN.

Diana Warner
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2001

Artist and designer, Diana Warner, has been creating art since her childhood in Tennessee. Warner’s southern roots are reflected in her designs through her use of natural, approachable elements and through her laid-back and relatable personality.

In 2005, after completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in both painting and another in drawing, Warner launched an accessories brand called, Diana Warner Studio. The Diana Warner design studio once located in Knoxville, Tennessee was relocated to the Gramercy Park neighborhood in the heart of Manhattan. The studio catered to over 700 stores worldwide, each piece of Diana Warner jewelry and accessories was handcrafted with passion, all from this studio on 21st street directly off Park Avenue. Since launching in 2005 Warner’s designs continue to grace the red carpet at nearly every major awards show and at countless movie premieres. Her extensive client roster includes celebrities like Blake Lively, Natasha Bedingfield and Angelina Jolie, and also houses appearances on hit TV shows like ABC’s “Nashville” and all six seasons of the CW’s hot show “Gossip Girl.”

This roster has made Warner’s designs highly sought after and widely popular. Along with celebrity and TV appearances her designs can also be found in high-end publications like “Marie Claire,” “Lucky,” “Good Housekeeping “ and “Vogue.”

In 2011, NBC-affiliate, WBIR, conducted an interview with Warner on an episode of East Tennessee’s “Home Grown.” The feature chronicled the Diana Warner brand growth from her Tennessee roots through 2011. Warner’s episode of “Home Grown” received such high ratings it’s still frequently aired to this day.

In 2012, Warner ventured into the music world by creating exclusive and multiple accessories lines for legendary rock band “Styx,” and for country music superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

After great success with Warner’s NYC location, in 2013, Warner decided to expand her retail presence to her to her childhood hometown partnering with her parents on an East Tennessee location. The Diana Warner Knoxville location is on Kingston Pike, in the Gallery Shopping Center and has proven to be an extremely successful venture.

Warner’s 2013 success continued when she launched her shoe collection based on her firm belief that when it comes to shoes form should not have to follow function, and the shoes should be both beautiful and comfortable. Designed for women on their feet and always on the go, but who don’t want to sacrifice style for comfort this shoe collection has successfully lived up to Warner’s challenge to women: #walkamileindwshoes and be forever changed.

In 2015 Diana opened her second Tennessee location in Nashville. She decided it was time to come home and bring her wonderful creations to Music City. Diana Warner Nashville is in Green Hills in the Bradford center. The Boutique offers a personal shopping experience along with hands on creative sessions with Diana herself whether it is in jewelry making or painting. The head of style Gigi, is the ray of sunshine that makes the store tick, who also is available for private closet consultations. Diana leads a team of women out of Nashville she calls #thefashionofmusic, this team consist of photographers, hair and make-up artists, stylist, and craft. Diana’s team is every director and producers “dream team” and is called on regularly to “make shit happen” in the music and film industry. This very team also does work pro-bono for women in music who cannot yet afford the team’s services but needs them in order to be competitive in the industry.

This year Diana has been nominated to become Women of the Year in Nashville for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She has raised money for this charity before as her younger brother Rob was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the young age of 22. Diana was officially crowned with the title Woman Of The Year on June 2 and she will now get the opportunity to represent LLS for the next year and help be a voice that brings awareness and growth to this organization. Through this research, Diana believes this organization will be responsible for curing cancer.

Diana’s following reaches out to her regularly looking for the best things to do in both New York City and in Nashville, Diana’s travels, love for hospitality and culinary arts provide extra content for her followers not normally associated with fashion designers, content they have grown to rely on.

Kat Wheeler
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2001

Kat Wheeler studied ceramics at the Appalachian Center for Crafts in Smithville, Tennessee. She completed a semester study abroad at the Australia National University in 2007, before earning her B.F.A. in Ceramics in 2008. While studying, Kat worked part time for established studio potters Judy Brater and Peter Rose, learning valuable studio practice and production techniques while maintaining the workshop and helping fire Peter’s two chambered wood kiln. Kat moved to St Ives to work at the Leach Pottery in 2009, eventually becoming the Deputy Studio Manager from 2014-2019.
In 2015, Kat went to Mashiko and did a 10 week residency at the Hamada Workshop. Her experimentations with Hakeme brush decorations in Mashiko became a catalyst for her recent work in St Ives.

Kat Wheeler currently works full time in her workshop at the Gaolyard Studios, St Ives. She produces a range of high fired stoneware pieces, ranging from simple tableware to individual pieces decorated with a thick textured slip. The work is then high fired in a gas reduction kiln. In addition to producing her work, she teaches some of the throwing courses on offer at the Leach Pottery: ‘Working production for 10 years in such an intensive environment as the Leach Pottery and being surrounded and encouraged by the enthusiasm of their talented workshop team had a profound impact on me and my work. I enjoy the repetition of throwing simple forms and using contrasting slips to create texture and individuality to my range of pots.’

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KWheelerCeramics
https://www.facebook.com/Kat.Wheeler.Ceramics/
https://www.leachpottery.com/kat-wheeler
https://st-ives-ceramics.co.uk/wheeler-kat/

Heather Wolfe
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2001


My whole life I have loved art! My first day of Kindergarten, my parents asked me what I hoped to do at school that day. I responded by saying, "I want to paint, paint a picture for my sister." I studied art in college and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education from Tennessee Tech University in 2006. I then taught high school art for 5 years. In the summer of 2012 I made the choice to start my own business!

I have specialized in creating customized pet portraits based on YOUR pet's photos. Those who see my pet portraits in person can’t help but glide their fingers across the textured surface, wondering what it’s made of. The answer is simple: custom paper! To be more specific, I use high-end exotic papers from all around the world. My collages are designed with high-end papers and then embellished with paint, fabric, and more. Each piece is creative, special, and one-of-a-kind! My goal is to create more than just a photo-realistic portrait of your pet; it's to capture the essence of your pet by using an artistic interpretation of your pet that is both charming and playful!

All too often, people have special photos tucked away in boxes or in photo books on the shelf. I work with pet owners to create a larger than life, customized portrait of their pet that serves as a loving reminder of their pet and true piece of art. I hope that my art will bring joy to every pet owner I work with. I hope people can enjoy our pet paintings for a lifetime; remembering and celebrating their life.


In January of 2019, I decided to expand my business to include Wedding paintings. One of my clients asked me to paint her son’s wedding. The concept was so new I had to do some research on what all that entails. Live wedding painting has become a popular addition to weddings and I realized I wanted to be apart of the excitement. I ended up enjoying the experience so much that I wanted to offer this as a new service on my website! I am so excited and honored to be a part of couples’ special day and capture a moment in time for a forever piece of artwork for their home!

Heather Wolfe

Kristina Yacks
Prior student of Wendie Love
Farragut High School 2002

June 2023
My family and I took a moment to celebrate my 13 year career in education (!El pastel de mango chantilly estaba delicioso!)! What an enlightening and adventurous career it has been in service of future generations!

I’m proud to have:
🌟Built relationships and memories with 2,000+ kids both as a teacher and AP!

🌟Collaborated and partnered with 2,000+ caregivers, families, siblings, extended family members, friends of families, and THE BEST HUMANS ON THE PLANET, my fellow EDUCATORS, including those seen and unseen workers behind the scenes, such as operational, cafeteria, and janitorial staff as well as outside partners!

🌟Taught over 300 kids in my homeroom classes reading, writing, handwriting, spelling, phonics, phonemic awareness, speaking and listening skills, math, science, social studies, SEL skills, Social Justice Standards (DEI instruction), and life skills like how to organize their belongings in seat sacks!

🌟Taught over 700 kids in small groups how to read, write, and spell!

🌟Lead over 1,080 students as an Elementary Assistant Principal!

🌟Planned, prepared, and implemented over 30,000 lessons, presentations, and coaching meetings!

🌟Planned, prepared, and implemented over 1,000 long-term plans and unit plans both as a teacher and AP!

🌟Helped establish a teachers’ union in the very anti-union world of charter schools and the South.

🌟Survived teaching during and after a pandemic!

🤔 You might be wondering, “What’s next, Mz. Yacks-McKee?”

I, along with other educators and caregivers, will be sharing stories, reflections, insights, and anonymous gossip on relevant and controversial topics in my up-and-coming education blog, www.yacketyyacks.com! “Let’s yack about education!”