Timeless Lines and Layers

Art reveals itself through the interplay of lines and layers as seen in the work of these four exceptional One of a Kind Show artists. From paint and leather to metal and wood, their hands shape layers of time, emotion and craftsmanship into pieces that invite us to look closer and feel more deeply. 

In Isabelle Gougenheim’s world, lines and layers are more than visual elements, they are emotions unfolding in color and texture. Beginning with a painted canvas, Isabelle builds depth through movement and meaning, transforming art into something you can touch, wear, and live with. Her scarves and kimonos become layered stories, where each brushstroke finds new life in fabric and form.

Tell us about your creative process.

Isabelle: Each of my designs begin as a painting in my Chicago studio. From there, I transform the paintings into wearable art pieces such as scarves, kimonos, and embroidered patches. I think of it as a way for people to bring art into their everyday lives.

My process focuses on layering colors, textures, and stories to create something that feels alive and personal. Some paintings naturally translate onto fabric because of their composition, movement, and colors. I choose these elements carefully so that when someone wears one of my designs, they feel confident and connected to the artwork.

In the end, whether it is a canvas, a scarf, or a kimono, I see each piece as a complete work of art and an extension of my vision beyond the studio.

What inspires your creativity?

Isabelle: What I enjoy most is seeing how people live with my work. Over the years, I’ve seen scarves worn at weddings, kimonos taken on vacation, and collectors bringing my designs and artwork into their homes. Knowing that something I create becomes part of someone’s life keeps me inspired. I started almost eight years ago with the dream of bringing more color into people’s lives and wardrobes, and that connection with people is what motivates me to keep creating.

What makes your work so unique?

Isabelle: What makes my work unique is that it begins with original paintings and then becomes something people can wear or even frame. I create scarves, kimonos, and patches that carry the same colors, textures, and stories as my canvases. Each piece is produced in small editions with a focus on quality, so it feels personal and lasting. It is not only about fashion, it is about bringing art into everyday life in a way that lets people express themselves and feel like they are part of the artwork.

For Grant Anderson of Uptown Common, each bag begins as a study in structure, the clean line of a seam, the layered strength of hand-stitched leather. The result is timeless craftsmanship, where this artist’s touch and layered design create objects meant to endure and evolve.

Tell us what goes into making your bags.

Grant: The time invested in each piece is unique among leather workers. Cutting, sewing, and installing hardware are all done by hand without the use of machines ensuring that the maker’s hand is intimately involved in every step of the process. In addition to that, I use only the best materials I can find. Vegetable-tanned leather sourced from Italy and the United States, hardware made of solid brass or stainless steel and materials specially designed for hand sewing. I also share the specifics on each piece to include the specific tannery where the leather was sourced. 

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

Grant: The most enjoyable part of creating is meeting my customers and knowing they will treasure their bag for many years. New bag designs are exciting but only as they enable me to meet new people and talk about my creative process and the work that goes into making a bag that they love.

What makes your work / business unique?

Grant: I have spent time drawing on vintage designs while also studying architectural design principles to create timeless styles for my customers. I have most recently started using principles of Kintsugi in order to add one of a kind details to my bags, ensuring that my customers will never see another bag like theirs.

In Dante Perozzi’s jewelry, layers of wax, metal, and imagination come together to form incredible elements of sculpture. Each piece is shaped by an intuitive layered process, riding the line between freeform and structure. 

Tell us about your creative process.

Dante: I work in two methodologies- fabrication and lost wax casting. My love for working in wax tends to dominate as I feel a small part of a lineage of ancient artists working in the same way as I do (though I have fancier tools). I work in metal fabrication as well but usually when I have a need for more precision and to form and manipulate pieces originally cast from wax. I find wax to be better suited to my design process- it is more forgiving in what is often (but not always) a very improvisational process I employ. Mistakes become a gift of experience rather than a costly loss if that makes sense. Through the years I have homed in and developed a personal style and technique that connects with my work and makes it identifiable as mine. Most importantly I LOVE my time at the wax bench- and if I continue to have fun there, I will carry on.

What led you to pursue a career as an artist?

Dante: I have always known I would be an artist as I come from a family of creatives. I went to school and worked in sculpture exhibitions for some time before finding my way to jewelry. 

I had been working with materials such as resins, concrete, brick, wood, paint- but was missing knowledge of metal work. I took a class in basic metal smithing to start, thinking I would take the new skillset back to my sculptural work but I instead I realized this was my actual happy place and all the forms and ideas I had developed in sculpture were perfect to translate into smaller jewelry pieces. This was how I made my first collection and I have never looked back.

Cite an instance from your own life that has sparked creativity.

Dante: I have two fingers on my right hand. Luckily, the fingers I have make a solid combo- of a pincer grasp with the two fingers being an opposable thumb and pinky. I’ve always been required to figure out how to do things my own way, so I’ve had lots of practice with improvisational thinking, I think this is a big contributor to my creative path and strength.

I’m not often conscious of this difference- and because it rarely crosses my mind, I find that it’s a bit uncomfortable to bring it up in a public context for fear of my reasons being misinterpreted. But it is undeniably a foundational piece of how I have come to operate in the world. Likely even many of my followers and collectors will be surprised by this little fun fact about me. 

Earl Nesbit’s furniture shows the connection between lines and layers in the natural beauty of wood. His pieces are carefully shaped through years of experience, with each curve and detail showing harmony between design and material. Every piece he creates reflects balance, skill, and lasting beauty.

Tell us about your creative process.

Earl: I specialize in designing eye-catching high-end custom furniture of the highest quality. With more than 30 years of professional experience as a designer and builder, my functional fine art furniture is created using premium quality materials and the finest craftsmanship.

What led you to pursue a career as a furniture maker?

Earl: I was classically trained in a one-year paid apprenticeship program that I successfully completed in 1990. My apprenticeship was in New Hope, Pennsylvania with a master craftsman. That early experience as well as the rich history of furniture making in the area contributed to my work as I showcase the beauty of natural wood in each piece. In 1995 I opened my own custom furniture making business.

What is your craftsmanship style?

Earl: My style is defined by clean, elegant lines and an eye for proportions and detail. My custom furniture displays solid wood so that its subtleties can be enjoyed: the way the grain moves through a sculpted piece or the feel of a tabletop or a shaped edge. Over the years I have enjoyed working with many different clients and their varied styles – from western-style refined rustic, to mid-century modern, to Art Deco – each piece created with my own contemporary flare. When designing speculative pieces my style is cutting edge sculptural contemporary.

Meet these incredible artists and hundreds more at the Holiday One of a Kind Show, December 4 – 7, 2025.