Our Artist Profile for January is Christy Todd! During our interview with her, it was evident that Christy is a very gracious individual who is eager to share her passion for creating and selling her products at The Blue Umbrella. She creates calendars, coasters, magnets, ornaments, angel pins, books, pictures, and much more. She is a primarily self-taught artist except for quilting, which her mother taught her. Christy has been making art for as long as she can remember and credits her mother, friends, and God for helping her. In addition to being an artist, Christy enjoys taking photos because it is calming for her, and she likes being outside surrounded by all God’s creations. If that weren’t enough, she has an ear for music and has fun playing the piano. If she could have any job, Christy would love to be a tour guide. When someone buys one of her products, it makes Christy feel happy and blessed. She uses her paychecks from The Blue Umbrella to purchase more supplies to continue to create her art.
Christy has had to overcome her share of challenges throughout her life. She has been resilient through health issues and getting her GED despite having hardships with learning how to read. She did not let these things stop her and feels she had God’s help to get past these obstacles. Her biggest strength aside from being a talented artist is her penchant for kindness; she is well-known for her loving and thoughtful character.
She values her faith and finds a sense of community within her church family. Jolly Ranchers candy and horses are just a few of her favorite things. Christy’s big goal is that she wants to work towards getting a house for her family. She strongly believes that you can do anything you set your mind to regardless of the difficulties life throws at you. Christy wants customers of The Blue Umbrella to know that she is very thankful to be part of the store and is grateful to everyone who has supported her!