Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Terrell.
Ashley, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started My Sassy Canvas in April 2015, however, I have been expressing myself through art since I was a very small child. From building things with random items around the house, to stage managing and acting in high school and in church, to sketching and painting, I have always been apart of something art related.
In 2012, I picked up a paintbrush and began my journey with My Sassy Canvas, not knowing it! I would paint different styles of art, but nothing serious. It started off as me painting for my friends and family. I attempted still life and basic abstract paintings. I eventually moved towards fluid art and fell in love with it! I did not start doing fluid art until 2017, though, because in 2013, life hit me hard in and I had to deal with a series of unfortunate events that lead to bad decisions, depression, and anxiety, so I stopped painting for about a year. I had to find an outlet for all the negativity that was happening in my life before it consumed me, so in 2014, I remembered one thing that helped me the most. My paintbrush. Eventually, I got to the point that I was selling my original paintings so much that I had to come up with a name and some marketing plans. So April 2015, is when My Sassy Canvas was born.
in 2017, I was introduced to fluid art. Fluid Art is my therapy. One of my areas of improvement in life is control. I always feel the need to be in control of everything I do, so fluid art helped me realize that it is okay to not be in control sometimes. It was a great feeling, but, after some months past, I started to get creative with the leftover paint from each of my paintings, You see, after each of my paintings, I would have these beautiful skin-like pieces that dripped off the edge and dried. One day, I was playing around with some of the dried acrylic skins and put it in a necklace, and my friends where like “you should sell these, they are gorgeous!” I wanted to do it, but at the time I could not, so I focused on my paintings.
2018 was a fresh start for me because I was able to start to making jewelry and accessories like I wanted to, fortunately, one of the local bars in Denton displayed my work and I was invited to participate in the Magnify Dallas art show by RAW Artists in April 2018. This was a big jump for me because between working a full-time job that I sometimes work 50-60 hours for, it was very hard to market myself and network. Living in Denton definitely helps since it is a very artsy and supportive community. I started setting up booths for local markets and I eventually was able to make enough money to start my online shop in June 2018.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I am my toughest critic. I struggle a lot with myself because I always feel like my work is not good enough. I am also a perfectionist, so I struggle with allowing myself to fail, sometimes. My greatest struggle of all, though, was realizing some of the people that I grew to love did not love me back and did not support me. It was a recent realization that leads me to work harder, however, it was still something that hurt me more than I realized.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with My Sassy Canvas – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My Sassy Canvas is my hobby turned business, which is what I am most proud of because I do not feel like I am working. With doing fluid art, I started to make jewelry and accessories with my art. I wanted to find something that everyone could afford or want. My company is different from others because everything is made in my apartment from hand. I take time out of my day to create for me and others and it makes me very happy. My Sassy Canvas is also part of the creative reuse movement. I recycle everything that I can and I also reuse a lot of supplies and products that I have. I strive to leave a small, sassy, carbon print on this earth. My Sassy Canvas proudly shops at Scrap Denton, the home of creative reuse, in Denton, TX.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I have got a few things up my sleeve that I am working on. Launching my website was the biggest step for me so far. Wedding decor/accessories are something that has always been on my to-do list. I love to celebrate love so I would like to incorporate my art into wedding ceremonies. I am also looking into working with a clothing subscription box to include my jewelry and accessories. I plan on staying in the DFW area for a few more years but would eventually like to move up to the pacific northwest once I get My Sassy Canvas where I want it to be.
Pricing:
- Paintings start at $35 and Jewelry/Accessories start as low as $10!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mysassycanvas.com
- Phone: 940-268-3434
- Email: mysassycanvas@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/mysassycanvas
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/mysassycanvas
- Twitter: twitter.com/mysassycanvas
Image Credit:
Emma Roelke
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