The Accidental Shopkeeper

After getting my start in theater craft, I began creating installations in the storefront windows of my downtown Seattle studio. Over time, these evolved into sculptures that I was eventually able to exhibit in galleries, leading to large-scale public art projects.

Alongside that work, I was crafting clocks and other decorative pieces, while also designing display windows for several local shops. Freelancing as an artist led to all kinds of adventures, building sets and props for film and television commercials. Oddball creations like a refrigerator that morphed into a pinball machine, miniature towns, and giant lilies became part of the daily mix.

My clocks, jewelry, and decorative objects were also gaining traction, and I genuinely enjoyed making them. With the help of a business partner, I decided to focus on that side of the work and set freelance projects aside. Our small company grew, allowing me to design large collections of clocks and jewelry that we sold to galleries and shops nationwide through a network of sales reps.

When the opportunity came to sell the company, we took it, and I returned to working independently. Needing a larger studio, I began exploring the idea of moving from the city to the coast. I imagined a quiet side street where I could put out a simple sidewalk sign on nice days that read, “Studio Open Today,” and maybe meet a few people along the way.

Instead, I found our location in Long Beach—right on the main drag at the north end of the business district. It didn’t take long before I started imagining something more: a real shop. The space was perfect for it.

Two years in, I was able to step away from wholesale entirely and focus on making work just for the shop.
I only wish I’d done it sooner.