Happy Maker Monday!
This week we are featuring Mary Clark or Mary Beale Art! Mary Clark, a Rochester, NY native, received her BFA in studio art from Skidmore College in 2012. Her work is easily recognizable by her playful style and complex palette. Mary’s artworks are an abstract representation of shapes, contours and vibrant colors found in nature. She begins her paintings with a loose hand and expressive marks. By deliberately layering color and shapes, Mary creates complex pieces bursting with excitement and rhythm. Read on to learn more about Mary and her work!
: Tell us a little about yourself.
: Hello! My name is Mary and I currently live and work in beautiful Saratoga Springs, NY. I split my time between painting and working at a local boutique – taking any day off or free night to work on my art. I have always been artistic, and always had the mentality that art would be my “side gig”. I even went into college thinking I’d pursue a degree in Chemistry and minor in Studio Art. I ended my freshman year and knew I wasn’t following my heart. So I changed my major to Studio Art, with a concentration in both painting and textile design and never looked back. Even though I graduated not having a clue what I would do with this degree, I always managed to keep up with painting. Since graduating, I’ve lived and worked in Rochester, Boston, NYC and now Saratoga Springs. I spent 3 of those years at an incredible company, where I worked hard to learn as much as possible, eventually becoming the executive assistant to both of the CEO’s. I owe so much to my time at that company, where I learned so much about myself. I realized, ultimately, that I truly wanted to dedicate myself to art, so this past October, I left NYC and my full time job (EEK!). It’s been the best decision I could have made. I am moving slowly and cautiously, really taking the time to think about how I can best create a future based around my art. I spend any free time I have painting and working on commissions. I am happier than ever and am excited for the future of Mary Beale Art!
: We love your paintings! How would you personally describe your own work/aesthetic?
: My work can 100% be described as “happy art” – it’s very whimsical, bright and floral. I try to limit my palette but always end up throwing more color onto the canvas – and I think that is totally ok! I never sketch out or plan my paintings, I just start painting. Ultimately, I want my art to make you smile – I want it to brighten your day and bring joy to whatever room it’s in.
This week we are featuring Melodie Burns of Art of Melodious! We love her cards and the way she mixes quirky greetings with fun illustrations. A lot of her work features animals and each one has such personality. It’s no wonder so many people immediately think of someone her cards would be perfect for or instantly think that a particular card matches their personality to a tee. Melodie’s interview is just full of amazing advice so make sure to keep reading to learn more about her, how she started 
: Hi my name is Melodie Burns. I am an illustrator/wife/entrepreneur living it up in the countryside in Ontario, Canada. I love animals and you can tell firstly because the majority of my artwork includes creatures and I have a growing fur family of 2 dogs and 2 cats, soon to be 5 chickens! My artwork can be found on the cards that I create for my store Art of Melodious and let me tell you I love creating artwork for cards.
This week we are featuring Stevie Rozean and her amazing shop filled with all things lettering, illustration and design! Stevie can do anything from painting your childhood home or lettering your favorite quote, to designing your wedding invites! She also has a wonderful outlook on pursuing growth as a artist and the importance of practice when it comes to developing your style. Keep reading for great insight and to learn more about 
: I’m 22, passionate about pursing my dreams and inspiring others to do the same, newly married and a sucker for desserts (specifically donuts). I’m from Cincinnati, OH but moved to Springfield, MO about 5 years ago to attend college.
This Monday we are featuring Danaye Shiplett of young@art! We love how Danaye speaks through her art. Her pieces are an expression of herself as well as a story she’d like to tell. The imagination behind Danaye’s work leaps off the page. Each character has personality and a message for the viewer to interpret, an attribute that is sometimes lost in more commercialized art. Danaye stays true to her artistic roots and desire to create for herself, and gives her customers the opportunity to share in her creative journey- something we think is truly special about maker’s shops! Read on to learn more about Danaye and how young@art came to be.
: Every introvert’s dreaded nightmare! (Kidding.) So, my name is Danaye Shiplett and I am a 30-something geek, bookworm, introvert… well, you get the idea. I’m married, live in the South (though I was raised on the East coast), and have two adorable fur-babies. I can’t have children so they really are my kids. (I don’t dress them up or anything, though. Promise.)
This week we are featuring fashion illustrator, Joanna Baker! Joanna is a testament to taking the leap from the corporate world and becoming your own boss. Joanna took that initial risk and started her very own illustration business. Since then she has garnered recognition from some of the fashion industry’s top names and we can definitely see why. We love her illustration style in all its pretty details and chic accents! Read on to learn more about Joanna’s story.
: Hi, I’m Joanna! I currently live in Manhattan with my husband and our cat, Junebug. Originally from Maryland, we’ve lived in NYC for a little over eight years now. (Junebug is born and bred a New York City girl, though)
Castle Foundations 