Conversations with Sarah Edwards

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Edwards.  

Sarah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Oh, where to start. I was born right here in KC. I’ve always considered myself an artistic person from the time I put on my first pair of ballet slippers when I was 2 to now when I’m able to pass on my knowledge and love of the arts to my 3 children, ages (5, 13, 19) I just find there’s nothing more breathtaking than being able to express yourself through something you can create from your mind and body. There’s real vulnerability in art, and that’s beautiful to me. When I was young, my family relocated to El Dorado Springs, Mo. I went from city life to farm life, and it was a bit of an adjustment, but I found comfort in arts and scouts. I took local dance classes, joined show choir and of course theater, and having an older brother that was also artistic that I admired. I really looked up to him for inspiration, so I was constantly painting or drawing something. After high school, I found a career in cosmetology. I really fell in love with making people feel good about themselves. Hair and makeup was just another outlet for me to express myself but it was rewarding in other ways and came along with great stories. Fast forward several years and a lot of life’s ups and downs. I practiced cosmetology for 15 years up until covid hit. The salon I was at was forced to shut down, so I became a stay-at-home mom. My fiancé, now hubby Blaine and I had just bought a house in Pittsburg, Kansas, right before the epidemic with a nice-sized shop so. Blaine worked in CNC for years came up with the idea to buy a plasma table to start making brackets and gears for commercial use. I was clueless but just went with it. While he was planning the business, I was planning the wedding. We got married Sept 10, 21, with a vintage celestial theme. We wanted to wait till after the wedding to get the business up and running. Now his idea was for it to be a family business I was at a loss, I knew nothing about CNC let alone plasma so I was drawing a blank until one day he was messing around and cutting out a bigfoot. Then a light bulb went off, and I decided to paint one, and the rest is history. Out of a pile of scrap metal Gossmar Moon Studios was born. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s comparable to rocky road ice cream. The cream is the easy part. Communicating with clients on custom orders, and I’ve adapted very easily to painting with alcohol inks. Before metal art, I had never picked them up but always wanted to, and it That’s the medium I use, that part just comes naturally. Learning new techniques every day has been the easy part. Now the struggle, or the chocolate-covered nuts as I call it cause you defiantly learn to appreciate them, comes more with picking what pieces to bring to what shows. I do a lot of contemporary art and craft shows just to help get our name out there and you never know what someone might want, and the possibilities are endless of what we can make. You really have to learn your area and what’s popular or what kind of event you’re attending. Also, our product is extremely heavy loaded up, so we have definitely learned what to do and what not to do when it comes to handling our stuff. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a CNC plasma artist. I make custom metal signs and wall art. What sets me apart is I hand paint every piece I make, so no two are the same. Most people think I hydro-dip my signs, so when I tell them everything is 100 percent hand-painted there so surprised. I love that reaction. 

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Never stop learning, and never assume anything. Not long ago, when I thought I figured every way possible I could paint, I discover a brand-new technique that’s absolutely gorgeous… The possibilities are absolutely endless, and it definitely humbled me. 

Pricing:

• Metal art is .25 sq inch

Contact Info:

• Website: Gossamermoonstudio.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/gossamermoonstudio?igshid=ZGUzMzM3NWJiOQ==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gossamermoonstudio?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Image Credits
Blaine Austin Photography