Tobi Road Studio

I’m excited to participate in this Spring Craft fair on Saturday. I will have mostly wooden earrings and bracelets for sale. But I picked up my paint brushes recently (I really love painting) so I’ll also have painted totes.

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I am an artist! One of the best things about being an artist is the other creatives I’ve met on this path. I would have never imagined I would be on this path when I was younger. I taught myself how to sew when my children were younger. Then I started making jewelry, then I started meditating and loving crystals and going to classes about mediumship. Then my cat died and I reached for my iPad and painted to help my heart heal.

My Grandmother Raquel, who I was named after passed away when I was a baby. But several years ago I had a psychic reading and the psychic told me that my Grandmother wanted me to paint on canvas. She was a really good psychic. That lead to showing my art in a gallery in Crockett , which led me to opening my own gallery. Where I met a community of creatives that I love. For the first time in my life I felt like I belonged, I found my tribe.

I’ve since closed my gallery but still make jewelry and paint. I’ve contemplated as I look back How did I ever get the nerve to open an art gallery. I taught myself to paint, no art education. I tried to inspire others to not be afraid to show their art in my gallery.

Now I’ve pushed myself to have pop up art shows in my front yard. Stepping out of my comfort zone, not knowing if anyone would show up or if I would just in my yard with tables full of jewelry and art. Then I invited other artists to join me in my front yard.

I’ve signed up for a few Spring craft fairs and I’m a member of the Grant Street Art Tribe and the Concord Art Association.

But I want to scare myself further. I’ve changed my FB business page and instagram page from Raquel Amaral Designs to Tobi Road Studio. I live on Tobi Drive and want to do more Pop Up Art shows in my driveway. But I also want to start doing live painting/jewelry designing on my FB business page from my home. I’m not sure where this will lead but I’m following my intuition.

Do what scares you!