Today we’d like to introduce you to Nikki Noel.
Hi Nikki, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Our studio came to be like many businesses through and after the pandemic. I took a private stained-glass class in 2019 and really fell in love with it. So, during 2020 & 2021, I took up stained glass as a hobby, and my husband helped to create a small work area in our basement. That spaced evolved into us renovating a school bus to become a studio that we strategically placed on our property so that it faced the woods but also with a view of our wildflower meadow. In 2022, I was starting to feel the effects of burnout from my career as a massage therapist after 11 years and began wondering what was next for me. After a really short stint teaching at a local art center, I realized I wanted to teach and create art as much as I could, and I wanted everyone to feel welcome and capable. My husband and I are that couple that can do any project together, build anything we need, and work so well with one another that we both decided a studio was what we wanted to create. We’ve remodeled and created a 1000 sq ft studio fully capable of teaching up to 12 students in stained glass and 25 students for snack and paints. We’ve hosted many private classes for families, friend groups, and businesses. We also create many multimedia projects together such as incorporating stained glass into a wood sculpture for garden pieces. And we’re currently setting up a small clay area where experienced artists can rent time to throw on the wheel or hand build and then fire their finished pieces.
The largest addition to the studio this year is our investment into a CNC Waterjet called a Wazer. This machine allows us to cut and create highly precise and repetitive pieces that are available on our website for purchase, such as precut circles and full kits. This allows folks that love to create stained glass art but maybe don’t want to or cannot cut and grind each piece the ability to order everything already cut and ground. My husband heads up this department, and it’s allowed us to bring him into the studio nearly full-time while switching to part-time at his current job.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I believe the biggest obstacle starting any new business is the lack of predictability. So, we set some 2-year goals into our business plan. The goals that we’ve had a difficult time staying on track with are the additions to the studio, such as clay. But fortunately, this is due how busy we’ve stayed! I don’t think we could’ve anticipated this amount of business support and community connection. I had a truly serendipitous connection about a month before we started the build-out process. My good friend, Laurie Beech, attended a pop-up shop I hosted over the holidays, and she shared that she was soon retiring from her career and was looking for a creative retirement job. A beautiful and fun relationship formed, and Laurie is crucial in how successful and how busy we’ve become. This relationship has made it possible to not struggle quite as much as we might’ve had we not brought Laurie on into the studio.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in stained glass, but my approach is nontraditional. I appreciate the traditional art of stained glass, such as church windows and leaded glass windows and doors. I know that art form takes years of skill and practice, so I truly appreciate it for the highly skilled and precise art that it is. My take on stained glass tends to be outside-of-the-box thinking, such as combining glass into wood sculptures or designing 3D pieces such as flowers and waves. I’ve created huge windows for yoga studios that I added my own twist to such as an OM symbol suspended with wire. I’ve created garden sculptures 8’ tall that are permanently installed into a customer’s garden. I think my approach to stained glass sets me apart, but I also think my approach to teaching might make me a bit different from other teachers. Every class I teach, I always let my students know that for every way that I teach them, there are at least 3 other ‘right ways’ to do the same thing and 5 ‘wrong ways’ to do it! I love to watch someone figure out a way that works for them, and seeing their sense of accomplishment and satisfaction is incomparable.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I’m a huge podcast lover as well as audiobooks. My weekly podcast is 10% Happier, which focuses on mindfulness. I listen to Hidden Brain, TED Talks, and Stuff You Should Know. Most of these engage my brain in a way that allows me to learn and to create art simultaneously. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I love true crime like so many other people, so I do love Crime Junkies and Park Predators!
Contact Info:
- Website: Wildflowerstudio.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolanoel?igsh=MXJkcnI2d3F3c2ozMw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikkinoellmt?mibextid=nwBsNb
Image Credits
Gusto Photography
