Spending a lovely moment with my hubby on the other end of the camera.
About me + a tinge of cringeworthy stories
I grew up in both rural Virginia and rural Ohio and had free range to explore anywhere my legs would take me. I'd spend all day exploring the woods and abandoned places with my camera as a kid, and I still do (only now, with permission)! As long as I always knew where the creek was, I knew how to find home with the dog, my God, and my camera. I hope that spirit of adventure always stays with me!
From a young age, I also had an insatiable curiosity for all things animal or nature related. Sometimes that curiosity got me in trouble, but it left me with some pretty funny stories. Once when I was around six or seven, my mom threw me in the swimming pool because I was covered by an ant colony I thought was interesting. Luckily, I do not remember this. However, I do remember my older sister's shock when I caught a bird with my hands and brought it in the house because, why not? I was Snow White and knew it wanted to be my best friend forever.
I also showed a deep concern for nature conservation at a young age. My twin sister, little brother and I started something we called the "Animal Rescue Squad." Our main task was to assist any animal we deemed in danger. It usually resulted in us collecting buckets full of frog eggs laid in shallow puddles that were drying up. Or simply being a general annoyance to the animal world by playing with any wildlife we could find.
I'd like to believe I help the world in more effective and meaningful ways now. It's important to me that my art helps inspire wonder, foster care and concern for our delicately balanced earth and its inhabitants, and also doesn't worsen our strain on it. That's why I've spent a considerable amount of time researching and sourcing the products I currently offer. The full list of environmental specs for each product can be viewed in the product description at our online store here.
RANDOM FUN FACTS:
-The rare T.V. time I find -Any Marvel series, or generally anything featuring United Kingdom accents.
-I volunteer with and participate in Celebrate Recovery, which has been nothing but a conduit of sanity, friendship, and wellbeing in my life!
-Current favorite book of several- "What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions"
-Longtime favorite podcast - "Stuff You Should Know"
-I'm a struggling plant mom to many plants, as well as two very dramatic tortoiseshell cats named Rogue and Shadow.
-Quick thank you to my smart software engineer hubby who helped me with web dev/logistics :-)
SUSTAINABILITY
What began in 2021 as our goal to transition to only eco-friendly, sustainable print products by Earth Day 2022 has instead completely changed our direction! After much researching and networking, I'm very proud to say I've reached that milestone and more!
All of our fine art prints are printed on 100% cotton rag paper (no trees!) and are locally printed in the CinDay area. Our wood frames are beautifully finished with a solid wood look created from milled down sawdust, wood chips, and formerly-wasted trim pieces, also manufactured in the CinDay area. Lastly, all hanging canvases are printed on a a durable 50% recycled polyester fabric, hung from a bamboo dowel rod, and locally handcrafted by a macramé artist using 100% cotton fiber.