Who We Are 

“Art is something that makes you breathe with

a different kind of happiness.” Anni Albers

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Hi! My name is Tiffany Callis. I am the founder of Inspo Art Studio. I have been surrounded by “creatives” my whole life, whether it was my windchime building grandfather, doll clothes sewing mother, greeting card illustrating aunt, calligraphy writing cousin…

All of these people and more have inspired me to love and pursue art.

When I was in elementary school, I attended Saturday morning ceramics classes with a friend. We’d pick out a project from the many rows of ceramic molds. We’d use the tools to clean up the rough edges. Then our teacher would help us select paints and glazes and show us how to properly apply them. It was so exciting to come back the next week, after the piece had been fired in the kiln and see how the heat had transformed it into something different. I felt an anticipation about seeing it all shiny from the coats of glaze. I looked forward to that class every week. It was a safe, fun, inspiring place to be.

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In 6th grade art class, I remember creating a painting of a jazz musician playing a saxophone. We drew our subject matter and painted just inside the lines, leaving a ¼ inch of space. After the paint dried, our next step was to poor india ink over the painting. It filled the open spaces with blackness. It was exciting to me and I fell in love with my finished piece. But, what made all of the difference to me was that my art teacher told me how incredible she thought it was and said she wanted it to go in the upcoming art show for judging. I can’t even tell you if I won a ribbon now (I think I did). It wasn’t first place, but I do remember feeling inspired and encouraged to do more, putting more of myself into what I created.

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It just takes one person to encourage and inspire a child (or an adult).  If I am the only one to encourage a person to explore a creative path, I want to do it! Creativity, whether in art or dance or theater… is like therapy, a chance to express emotions and lose yourself for awhile. My desire is that Inspo Art Studio is that happy space- for the young and young at heart.

 

My stats: I am a wife and mother to 4 children; 2 boys and 2 girls. I started my “career” (if you can call it that) as a photographer, going to Winona International School of Professional Photography and working at a portrait studio.  I’ve had my own little photography business since 1993. I now work part-time teaching art at a private school for 1st grade all the way through 12th grade. I enjoy the large age range. It’s the best of all worlds. I am also the advisor for our school yearbook. The process of creating a yearbook is a whole different creature, but it’s fun in its own way. I get to utilize my love of photography and graphic design. Together, my husband and I started a commercial sign business, where I act as secretary and graphic designer.

Current goal- help YOU find your inspiration!

So the adventure begins…