We had the good fortune of connecting with Caroline Eimer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caroline, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have been interested in the arts my entire life, I decided to pursue an artistic career as I love how one can use art to make an impact on society and our planet. When you are an artist, you can be anything, I use my imagination and technical skills I have developed over the years to turn my dreams into reality. From painting a realistic ice cream cone on a second hand purse, to rolling magazine pages into one of a kind beads I love that art can be used to create joy from materials that otherwise may go overlooked. I love finding the potential in things that were once covered in dust and had no use. Our world is already filled of so many material things, that I believe we can use creativity to keep these things modern and wanted, instead of manufacturing new things from harmful materials. Art has helped society move forward and improve for thousands of years, and I am thankful to be part of the artistic movement of our generation.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work focuses on upcycling things, that is giving things such as secondhand clothes or old paper products a new life through creative design. My signature pieces are my hand painted secondhand accessories. I paint designs of varying subjects from desert themes to pop art to music notes on gently used purses, hats, and wallets. My most popular designs are my Polaroid hats, in which I paint a realistic Polaroid of a desert/mountain scene. I got my Bachelor of Fine Art in Art Education from the University of Arizona, and there I concentrated on painting and community art programs. With my business I use my art education background to run art events around Tucson. Keeping with the values of my business to only use secondhand materials as the base of my art, my signature art event consists of doing a guided painting on an old vinyl record. Using secondhand materials makes my art and events unique and unlike anything else being done in the community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Nature: Take a drive up Mount Lemmon and have a picnic and relax in my tree hammock. Go on a hike at Sabino Canyon (where I got engaged!) Food: Korean Rose Tea House, Midtown Vegan Deli & Market, BOCA Tacos
Places: St Philip’s Plaza (art markets on weekends), Arizona Hops & Vines in Sonoita, see a show at the Tucson Improv Movement (I do comedy here!)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to shoutout a book written by Poppy Jamie called Happy Not Perfect. This book helped me get my life back on track, set my daily priorities and long term goals. It helped me understand the things that may be “holding me back” and how to navigate them in a healthy way. I would also like to thank my family and fiancé for believing in me and encouraging me to chase my artistic dreams.

Website: https://handcraftedbycare.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handcraftedbycare/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

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