I have been asked to tell a little about myself....my Bio...so to speak. I am not really fond of doing these, as it seems kinda irrevelant and boastfull. But here are the facts....proud of them or not!

Maryland Institure College of Art '76

BFA in Graphic Design with a minor in Printmaking.

I did work in Advertising for 8 years after graduating which I loved at times...but mostly hated.

After that I made some real money by bartending at a variety of clubs and resturants for another five years or so in the West Palm Beach Area. A stint at the Palm Beach Polo Club finished up my bartending career...after which a girlfriend and I took a 3 month camping trip, hitting every beach from here to Mexico. What a riot!, but of course that was back in my drinking, partying and suntanning days......I was brown as a berry...and I'm paying for it now!

I finally decided to get back to my art career and started doing free lance illustration for  newspapers, books and magazines. I loved this job! but the constant need to get out there and show my portfolio....beat the street and knock on doors was not for me.

Enter The Art Festival World!  My place in the world...finally a venue I could be happy in. I have been doing shows for the last 25 + years ( I really have forgotten when I began!) I started out selling whimiscal dimensional 2-D paper collage, framed with hand painted frames and mats, under the name S. Nichols, and then S. Nichols Elliot and finally just S. Elliot. Back in the old days,  I made a killing with these, had a great time doing what I enjoyed. After about 10 years I sorta burned out and needed a change. I tried painting for awhile...and although I enjoyed it, I  didn't feel that I was all that good at it. I also hated waiting around for that one customer to make my day. I was so use to having a line of customers waiting to pay for my moderate priced and fun paper collages, that waiting for that $500 + customer was gruesome!

Enter Joe!  Love of my life! Joe is also an artist that had a long career working in Clay, he was also burnt out and needed a change. We started making furniture! Joe built these wild crazy art-furniture pieces and  I painted them. It was a blast! We got into all the best shows made some serious money......but......think about it....(we certainly didn't) every weekend at an art show we moved furniture....it was like moving day all the time!  Oh our aching backs! 

I took a 2 day seminar in Michigan, just as  a fun thing to do, in Lampworking.  Ahhh...Happiness!  We started selling jewelry using my lampwork beads, and Joe's silver at the Art Festivals.........The rest is history!

This is my studio in Dunnellon Florida...I work in the upstairs room, Joes studio is downstairs.  Its delightfull to take a break from torch and walk out onto the deck and be up in the trees!             Thats Sadie...the dork...I mean Dog. Shes our pound puppy...or maybe I can say she's a designer dog...who knows what she is! A little pit bull, a little boxer..a little hound...she's a sweety and we love her no matter what she is.

   This is our cottage in Indiana where we stay during the summer. We participate in the midwest Art Festivals from May to Oct.Joe and I in our booth at an Art Show....where else!?