Hi there! I'm Dara, owner of HelloHandmade, a private art studio in Minden, NV! I'm an art enthusiast and teacher cultivating curiosity, creativity and joy through art!
My family has lived in the Carson Valley and Nevada for many generations and I am lucky to have artists on every limb of my family tree.
For me art was contagious. I've been creating art ever since I was able to hold a crayon. In my elementary years, my mother and I spent many summers renting VHS tapes from the library and painting along with Bob Ross. I won the Duck Stamp Contest, for all of Nevada, both years I entered...9th grade and my Senior year. Instead of leaving school early, due to having enough credits my senior year, I found myself signing up to take more art classes...any art class I could get into.

As a very young parent art took a back seat in my life and I felt like I lost my fire...my curiosity. Once I had realized that I hadn't done anything art related in a few years, I quickly searched the internet for classes. All I could find at the time were art courses at WNC. I registered the same day and for the next few semesters I went to WNC in my spare time. It was exactly what I needed....a break from reality. It was then that I realized I needed to continue to prioritize art, creativity and curiosity in my life no matter what. It has had a direct effect on my perception of life's challenges...everything seems doable. A few years later, in 2009, I opened my first art studio. I wanting to create a space where people could have their own break from reality or just share artistic experiences with friends and family members.
I will say, in the past few years my curiosity for different art mediums has grown exponentially, thanks to youtube. I'm not sure I will ever stop learning and don't think I want to. Bringing that same curiosity, creativity and imagination to life in my students has literally been a dream come true! Thanks for being here!
"Cultivate curiosity. If you really want to grow in your lifetime, learn to be as inquisitive as a child. Curious people are never bored, and for them life becomes an unending study of joy." - Tony Robins
Do you want to make "taking a break from reality or artistic experiences with friends and family members" a routine in your life? Click the button below for more info.
So Proud of you! You just fill me with wonder of all your abilities, your humble and loving heart and your drive!!