Jonathan Dryden’s hands create beautiful pieces of art from wood, but a childhood accident almost took away that gift. At thirteen-months old, he burned his hands so severely that he was not expected to have full use of them again. To everyone’s surprise, after three weeks in bandages, his hands slowly came back to life.

Even as a child,” said Jodi Castelli, “I saw the potential of discarded goods. I often rescued empty cereal boxes and other items doomed to the trashcan.” Today, the artist has graduated from the trashcan and instead combs antique shops to find vintage postcards, advertising, photographs, buttons, even game pieces, to serve as focal points in the visual stories she creates.

In another life, Reba Browning was an educator, working with children as a teacher and principal. Her husband, Glenn Spelis, was a U.S. Customs agent, a pilot who flew across North America and South America pursuing drug smugglers by air. Today, they have a new life, working together to create sculptures that enhance their environment.

Give Philip Blander a black pencil, a white pencil, a sheet of gray paper, and he will take your breath away. The 59-year-old artist has done photorealistic portraits so lifelike he has people insisting that his work was not drawn. “One woman looked at a portrait I did and argued with me, telling me that it was a photograph! I love when that happens,” he said.