Working in nonprofit HR for ~20 years, my creative practice has been my antidote in seasons of burnout. By building Chaparral Made, I decided I didn’t want to wait until retirement to enjoy my creative life. I find it fulfilling to make things with my hands, and I want to share the joy that brings me with other people.

A family of creators & upcyclers

I come from a family of creative people who make things for each other as gifts. We believe that handmade things are sacred; it’s a way we show each other love on holidays and birthdays. My mom is also a preschool teacher and reused the shit out of things constantly for art projects, so finding new uses for discarded objects was a practice that I saw my family doing early in life.

Inspiration: a mix of natural environment & old shit

I’m a thrifter and I love vintage things. Old things. Things that were made differently in the past. And we only have one home, this planet. I feel a responsibility to use discarded materials for my art to keep as much material as we can out of landfills.

Having grown up in the Bay Area and spent a lot of time in Mendacino County, I’m inspired by the California landscape. I love design magazines & DIY culture, and I’m interested in the unpretentious, simple beauty of things.

I don’t like following directions. I love trying to figure out how to do things on my own. I love breathing new life into objects in creative ways much like solving a puzzle.

Making to connect & share joy

I love building relationships with others through artmaking and creating with our hands. My invitation to others is—I just wanna make cool shit, and be with others who wanna make cool shit. Laugh, learn, and create together.