Check out Tori Martin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tori Martin.

Tori, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’ve always loved creating. Whether it is making decorations for my home, organizing a craft night, or compiling and wrapping the perfect gift, I love using that part of my brain! Most of my adult career has been spent working in the optical field. While I loved helping people see better, I wasn’t able to tap into my creative side as much as I would have liked. In September of 2017, I started working at Studio 223 in downtown Gilbert teaching wood sign workshops. I loved having the chance to help people create! After about a year the opportunity arose for me to purchase the store from the previous owner. I felt like it was meant to be and a dream come true! I absolutely love going to work everyday! Studio 223 is such a fun, happy place that always brings a smile to whoever walks through the door. It is bright and colorful and the perfect spot to be artistic. I live with my husband and have three boys who are all colorblind, and because of that, they don’t enjoy art projects as much as I do. Studio 223 gives me that outlet that I have been missing. Every day I am so grateful that I have the unique opportunity to do what I love for a living.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
At Studio 223 we do workshops that are open to the public and private parties that groups can reserve in advance for everything from birthdays to baby showers. The fun part for me is coming up with ideas of what we should do each month for our workshops. I love coming up with an idea for a project, making a sample and then watching as people sign up to come to the workshop to create that item with us. We have done all kinds of projects including seasonal pillows, pumpkin-shaped pallet signs, and Christmas countdown chalkboards. We also love involving other local artists by having them come into the store and teach workshops where they share their unique talents with our customers. We have had these outside artists teach a wide range of classes including calligraphy, sugar cookie decorating, string art, candle making, and chunky blanket finger knitting. I love offering a wide variety of projects and seeing our customers be able to make and create things that they never knew they could! It is so fun to see their sense of accomplishment at the end of a workshop and the creativity of each individual. Even though a group will all be making the same item, they all turn out unique and different, and that is what makes it so fun!

What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
There is no better feeling than coming up with an idea for an item to sell, bringing it to life, then putting it on the shelves of the store and watching someone walk in and fall in love with it enough to want to take it home! It is scary sometimes to put your ideas out there and hope that someone likes them, but it is so rewarding when they do.

I think it is so important that people feel happiness when they walk in the doors of the store and see all of the unique, hand-made items that we offer. For me, it has been a successful day when customers find the perfect gift or decor, or make a handmade item in the workshop and leave having had a positive experience.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
We have a darling little shop in downtown Gilbert located at 223 N. Gilbert Road. We are right between the antique store and the barber shop and across the street from Liberty Market. We sell a variety of locally made, curated goods in our store from some amazing artists and crafters. I love supporting local makers! We also have a DIY workshop at our location where we hold all of our classes.
You can also check out our website at studio223az.com where you will find all the information on our private parties and monthly workshops. You can schedule and pay for workshops and parties right on our website and then just show up at the shop on the date you scheduled, and we will have all of your supplies ready and an instructor on site to walk you through the project step by step.

Contact Info:

• Address: Studio 223
  223 N Gilbert Road
  Gilbert, AZ 85234
• Website: studio223az.com
• Phone: 480.892.2808
• Email: hello@studio223az.com
• Instagram: @studio223az
• Facebook: @studio223az

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