Hand Painted Children's Furniture
Nancy Edwards create masterpieces for small people. She is a talented local artisan you uses only the best materials (local only - no imports!) for her hand-painted children's furniture.
In 1979, when Nancy's son Bob was in high school, Nancy felt it was time that she could go back to her artwork, having taken a break from art to raise her two sons and travel with her military career husband, Bob. There was a small shop on the army post (Fort Stewart, GA) that sold crafts to raise college funds for students. Nancy started painting stick horses and eventually moved into making rocking horses. A woman who owned an elegant baby store in town saw Nancy’s work and hired her to paint children’s furniture that she sold from her shop. Within six months, Nancy opened a retail store of her own. She ran the store for six years before Bob retired and the family moved to Bucks County.
Instead of starting up a retail business locally, Nancy decided to sell wholesale to stores and shops. For 12 years Nancy sold regularly to a minimum of seven stores in the tri-state area. One of the stores was the Macy’s Manhattan store’s high end baby department.
in 2002 Nancy opened her Internet "store" www.painted-ponies.com. She doesn't actually sell on the web but she uses her website to market to people all over the United States and has even sold to folks in Europe.
Nancy paints with acrylic paint and uses glazes that are applied, wiped off, and then applied again – each time creating more depth and richness to the painted surface. The final finish that is applied to each piece of furniture will sustain years of continual use.
In addition to rocking horses, Nancy also paints, toy chests, tables, chairs, rocking chairs, cribs, beds, and other accessories. She will customize colors and patterns to match those in her clients’ homes and frequently has to do extensive research to find the perfect mix of animals, foliage, and colors.
Nancy currently selects from over 30 designs. The type of wood finish and the colors used can make a design look totally different, so she ends up with a lot more than 30 options to choose from. Nancy also stays abreast of current colors and styles in the juvenile industry and she is always adding new color palettes. She also looks for something new to offer - she recently added a contemporary rocking chair and a rocking horse which has removeable sides.
Nancy works on a flexible appointment basis. She welcomes sales directly from her studio. You can often find something that is ready to go or you can custom order to your specifications. Contact Nancy through her website www.painted-ponies.com.
