Original Art

About Consuela
First envisioned while on vacation in Cozumel, Mexico, where the general idea was to figure out a way to never come back to the “real” world or… at the very least keep that felling of freedom and peace, bright sunny days, and blue skies close at hand, Consuela is all about creating products that put a smile on your face, and take you to that place where your toes are in the sand, and there are no worries on the horizon.

Influenced by the amazing craftsmanship and vibrant colors visible in folk art and textiles produced in rural villages around the world, Consuela combines the passion for art, old and cherished textiles and treasures, modern materials and design concepts with a love for Latin America and Sante Fe, the Texas Hill Country, lake living, beach houses, and most importantly the amazingly beautiful tropical paradises and white sandy beaches throughout this wide, wonderful world.
Our signature Consuela frames, wooden boxes and crosses are made from start-to-finish in our workshop in Dripping Springs, Texas. Each is hand-crafted out of heavy wood pieces, individually painted and embellished with our wonderful aged metal adornments. They are a fun mix of vintage style, Mexican flare, and bright bold colors. Keep a treasured memory close at hand in one of the frames or boxes. All are super accents for any room.

About Studio 78
Wendy Grossman, owner and designer of Studio 78 works in upstate New York. She began her career as a working artist in the early 1970's as a fabric designer, and potter. At the same time, she studied painting at The Art Institute of Boston, and later at The School of Visual Arts in New York City. In the 1980's she took up traditional watercolor illustration. After studying at the School of Visual Arts in 1990, she was asked to take a teaching position in computer arts in both the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as at Pratt Institute over the next ten years.

She spent the better part of the decade enjoying the freedom of a commercial computer illustrator, traveling the world while working on a laptop and using the internet to service her clients. Although this was a perfect life style, she felt artistically unfulfilled. She was looking for a new artistic outlet for her painting which was her first love. Wendy bought a studio in the Catskill Mountains, and decided to put her passion for painting onto wood. After doing many wall size murals and closet doors for commission, Wendy’s ideas for painting on furniture emerged. In 2000 she began creating beautifully designed and painted furniture. She began to experiment with copper, and as she noodled around with the metal, she came up with an embossing technique that satisfied her artistically, and gave her furniture the punch she was looking for. Wendy continues to experiment and to bring her discoveries to the furniture, maintaining a freshness that she demands of herself and her work. Wendy, having worked in many media, including fabric, wood, metal, and clay, brings with her an understanding and a diversity into how home furnishing can blend, meld, and ultimately flow in creative and unique ways.

Wendy is very conscience of the well being of our planet, and chooses to use only products that are made from non-threatened trees and recyclable products. She also wants to make it possible for every person to enjoy the enriching and fun experience of having her furniture as art in their home. So with the contemporary adage that,“If the product is not affordable, it is not sustainable”as her guide, she continues the daily creativity in her studio. Wendy employs only local help and hires within her community, not allowing herself to be swayed by the lure of cheap labor overseas. Studio 78 furniture is custom manufactured to her design by local cabinet makers, with accent pieces made only within the United States.