Meet Lisa Heatherly-Contreras | Furniture Artist that spills into Home Decor too:)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Heatherly-Contreras and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think taking risks as ‘challenge accepted’…teehee That is what life is all about. Making those decisions that might go against the grain…putting yourself out there. Sometimes that is a scary thing but it is how we grow both professionally and personally. So I say get out there and do what makes you…You.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art…is definitely on a grandiose scale. I have this over the top-Versailles Palace kind of reoccurring theme with my work. I like to re-create a piece. To give it new life and a new purpose. Something that could be a regenerational piece and be passed down. I love the thought that my work could live on well beyond my years. I have been tearing furniture down and remaking it since i was a kid purely out of necessity as we didn’t have much growing up. I would paint/used mixed mediums/textures… anything i could get my hands on. haha Life can be hard but also beautiful, challenges are what make us who we are. CharminzyFurniture started and continues to be a therapy of sorts. I lost my mom to cancer and the only comfort I could find was sanding, scraping, drilling, sawing, painting… you name it…it got me through some really tough moments. Now, i find such complete joy in my work that I would be lost without it. Your self care is so important…make time to do something you love.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh My Gosh…I love to have friends and family visit me here in Arizona! I absolutely think this is the best place on earth and yes even when it’s 120 degrees outside. We would get up and enjoy a morning walk at the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert. Then we would totally have burritos at Topo’s in downtown Gilbert for lunch to finish off with some of their Prickley Pear ice-cream! Its to die for and I don’t even like ice cream. haha Then would have to head over to Scottsdale for some hang out time in OldTown. The quaint stores, art galleries and window shopping are the best! Then we would totally have to catch a movie at Harkins…but only on the Cine-Capri screen– Wow! Our weekend would just continue with fun starting with breakfast at Matts Big Breakfast at Agritopia Farms and then stick around to see if they needed any help in the fields cause it is truly such a cool place. Then would head to Casa Grande downtown because they always seem to be having some sort of fun outdoorsy event. Once it got dark we would have to head over to the Neon Sign Park. It is so neat to see the old signs lit up. Dinner would have to be at the HideOut Steakhouse and definitely starting with the Texas Twinkies as appetizers. They are Delicious. And sitting in the spa…there is nothing like the starry night in Casa Grande. I swear you can see a bazillion light up the sky out here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
ShoutOuts are the best part. I could not have gotten to this point in my life without so many positive influences in my life. Life can be hard…we all know this. I have had that creative brain from very young and was not always widely accepted. No matter which direction I wanted to go…my Mom would always say, “go for it. Who cares what anyone else thinks. This is your life-live it!” And that’s what i have done. Even falling a few times along the way. And Jesse, my husband is probably my biggest fan. No matter what wild idea I come up with he says…do it. You never know til you try. So, when i wanted to completely gut my closet (in our new build home) to make it a glam spot…even if he thought i was crazy he would say…’You got this”!

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