Susan Winget for Wilmington

When I graduated from UNC Chapel Hill and married my husband, Al, my hope was to start my own art studio and make enough "butter and egg" money to help support my family while staying home with my children. Looking back, I'm amazed to see how far we've come!

I began my business in 1982 in my home, painting small watercolors we sold for $8.50 at the Atlanta Gift Mart. We shipped 9000 paintings from our garage that first year. In 1987, we partnered with Lang Graphics to develop our first calendar, Heart & Home, recording my love for family and farm in each of the 12 paintings. As our business grew, I realized we needed more space to work, so we built a studio in the pasture behind our house. The studio became not just a place to nurture my business, but it was almost like a second home. My children loved spending hours out there with me each and every day.

In 1992, I began to work with our agent who brought a whole new vision to our studio. We began designing for a variety of home decor products. Now our art touches everything from dinnerware and furniture to stationery and children’s books!

Over the years, my business has continued to grow and change. We recently moved to a new studio in Lake Wylie, South Carolina! One of the greatest joys of working in this industry is the relationships we have developed over the years; with each other, our licensees, and the wonderful people who appreciate our products. Every morning my staff meets to set our work schedule and count our blessings!