ALTON/WOOD RIVER – Sarah Anderson has always been a creative person. Now, the local mom has decided to invest in her art as she starts her new business, The Painted Garden.
After her son was born, Anderson realized that she needed a hobby for herself. She began painting and fell in love with the creative process. She can’t wait to share and sell her art through The Painted Garden. A launch party on Sept. 12, 2024, at Mac’s Downtown will help her spread the word and encourage the community to celebrate a new local business.
“I’ve always liked to create, crafting or painting. It’s just been a fun little hobby of mine, but I decided to make it a business probably about a year and a half ago,” Anderson explained. “The plan is to sell the items that I create mostly on an online platform through my website, which is in the works, and through Amazon and Etsy.”
Anderson works with texture and acrylic paints on canvas board or wrapped canvas. She has a wide range of work already, and she’s creating more each day.
Last year, Anderson decided to rent a studio in Wood River so she could focus on her art. She has been pleased to discover that having her own space is “very motivating,” and she is cranking out more art than ever before.
“I’ve really been able to create more in that environment away from little hands and distractions and dog fur,” she laughed. “It’s been fun having my own space for my hobby and seeing things come to life.”
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To celebrate the new business, Anderson will host a launch party from 5–8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, at Mac’s Downtown. You can buy a raffle ticket for $1 for the chance to win one of Anderson’s photographs, and she will be giving away a painting as an attendance prize. She looks forward to sharing her art and socializing with the community as a small business owner.
“People can come in and see the art and really just celebrate the start of the business,” she said. “My full-time job is at Macias Insurance Agency. I’m a commercial accounts manager, so I sell business insurance. One thing that I love about that job is you see and meet with so many business owners in the area, and I’m excited to join that pool of small business owners. This whole area is a really great community for small business owners.”
And Anderson is determined to give back to the community. For every $100 worth of art she sells, she plans to donate $5 to UNICEF. She explained that the organization’s mission to help children has always resonated with her, but it holds a special significance now that she is a mother.
She noted that since becoming a parent, it’s important to make time for her own hobbies and interests. She is intentional about devoting energy to her art.
“It’s very exciting to have something to look forward to outside of normal daily life every day,” she explained. “At the end of the day, I’m very excited to go home and see my family and have dinner. But if I break away once or twice a week, I’m really excited to be able to do that too and just get a little bit of personal time…I think it is important as a parent to make time for yourself. Everything’s about balance.”
As The Painted Garden takes off, Anderson hopes her mission and her art strike a chord with other people. She invites community members to join her for the launch party on Sept. 12, 2024. You can also visit her official Facebook page, where she will announce more information about the business in the coming weeks. Call 618-818-9621 or email thepaintedgardenstudios@gmail.com to reach Anderson directly.
