Maker Stories

My biggest inspiration is when I’m in classrooms and working with kids. Whether it’s background research for my classes or working with my students, I’m always taking something back to the studio with me. I teach K-12, but mostly elementary school. A lot of what we do with art is new to them. I encourage the idea that they have a voice through art. It’s an important concept for all age groups to understand.

I’ve been interested in art since childhood. I studied fine art at Kent State University and concentrated on painting. After college, I realized I wanted to be more involved in promoting local art and artists – between 2003 and 2007. I started HEDGE Gallery while I had another full-time office job. When I lost that job, I took this on as full-time business. (more…)

When I was working in sales at Nordstrom’s women’s department, I tried a lot of their products and most of them stripped my skin. I have dry skin and eczema, so after that happened, I started looking for different herbs and oils to help. I experimented with different ingredients, using myself, my mom, and my sisters as guinea pigs. A lot of research on plants that deal with inflammation went into my products. (more…)

I have a degree in Art Education and taught high school art in Charlotte, NC back in 2014. I really believed in my kids when I was teaching and I always wanted them to reach for their full potential, but I didn’t necessarily feel like I was following my own advice. (more…)