Featured

Art from the Hartt in Downtown Montrose, CO

I am so excited to announce that Art from the Hartt now has a location in beautiful Downtown Montrose, CO!!! This is a real dream come true. My vision has always been to have a presence downtown. It took years of dreaming and another year of planning to make it happen – but it is reality. I also get to staff the shop once a week. It will be so cool to meet new people as they come through the shop.

Creative Corner is an artesian coop – so it is a collective of 20 or so local artists and craftspeople who join forces to have a shop in downtown Montrose. I am so honored to be part of this group. It looks like I will be doing a lot of the social media stuff for the shop, as well.

For my contribution to the shop, I plan to have the following in inventory:

Wall art – photos and paintings

Notecards and Greeting Cards

Painted Pots

Ornaments

Leaf art

COMING SOON: Hand-painted tile clocks with local scenes, pets, flowers

Begonias

The Creative Corner shop is located at 344 Main Street in Montrose, CO. The phone number is (970) 252-1185. Hours are generally 10-5 Mon-Sat. Please stop by and say hi!

The Etsy shop will continue in operation, as well. So, if you aren’t in Montrose and/or want your item shipped, please visit Art from the Hartt on Etsy.

We Are Moving to Country Flair!

Life brings unforeseen changes and Creative Corner’s building has sold leaving the co-op no options but to permanently close at the end of May 2023. I will have my merchandise there until the store closes. I have enjoyed being part of this great group of artists! I will always be grateful for their help in getting my business started in downtown Montrose, CO.

Starting May 1, 2023, Art from the Hartt will begin business at Country Flair, 337 E Main Street, Montrose, CO. I am super excited about my little space there! It is very cute and will be fun to decorate and fill with lots of amazing products!

Here is a listing of merchandise that will be located at Country Flair. Please keep in mind that inventory is updated more frequently that on the website. If there is something specific you are interested in – please email me. The Etsy shop will also be expanding inventory over the next few months.

  • Live Begonias and Houseplant
  • Hypertufa Pots and Decor
  • Cement Pots and Decor
  • Hand-painted Tile Clocks
  • Painted Tiles
  • Local and Southwest Photography and Fine Art
  • Flower/Nature Art
  • And More!

Please stop by and see my cool new space after May 1st. I am looking forward to seeing my customers at Country Flair!

Fun Cement Planters and Decor

Cement. That messy stuff we build basements and driveways with. Who guessed it could be fun to make planters with????

I have seen the somewhat generic cement planters that weigh tons at nurseries. My venture into making pots for nursery plants has opened my eyes. Cement pots can be unique and an absolutely gorgeous addition to a plant collection.

I think my favorite are the pots that are made from old cloth and cement. These can be formed into an endless number of shapes, sizes, and colors. I love to watch Youtube to get new ideas.

I also like silicon molds for unique shapes of small succulent pots. The old VW bus is a favorite.

I make pet memorial markers, candle holders, fake succulents, and heart propagation stations with silicon molds. It is a lot of fun to paint them in various colors.

I have a variety of products currently at Creative Corner in Montrose, CO. I plan to add these to Etsy once I have excess inventory. Please feel to drop by and browse! Click the link above for hours and directions. You can also contact me if you are interested in a special order item.

How About Hypertufa Plant Pots?

What is hypertufa? I must admit that I had no idea what hypertufa was until last summer. I really wanted to learn to make leaf castings and watched a few YouTube videos. I tried my hand at it with limited success. So, I started looking into concrete mixes. Hypertufa was added to my vocabulary then.

Southwestern style hypertufa pot

Hypertufa is basically a mix of portland cement, sphagnum moss, and vermiculite or perlite. It was developed for pseudo-rock troughs in Europe when the rock (tufa) became less available. Obviously, it is going to be lighter that the same thickness of cement. It takes several weeks or months to fully cure. It has the look of stone. It will take a freeze once fully cured.

Hypertufa trough with a begonia leaf impression planted with cement succulents

I started playing more seriously with hypertufa in the fall. Right now, I have several pots of various sizes available at Creative Corner in Montrose, CO. I will be making some smaller 4-6 inch pots this spring with plans to put them on Etsy.

Hypertufa pot made with white portland cement and a red color pigment. My dog, Sazi, is helping me!

These are super fun to make and have a lot of the same benefits as terracotta, like breathability. They look stunning when they are planted with succulents but you can find a size for your houseplants, too. I am hoping to use them for some of my daylilies next year.

Smaller pots that are still curing. The first two have begonia leaf impressions that will be painted green. The last one will have a honeycomb color dry brushed on as a finish.

It’s not just the pots, either. I made these cactus sculptures to draw attention to my pots. I snowpeople for Christmas. I am planning on bird baths and houses this spring/summer. The possibilities are endless.

Hypertufa Santas and Christmas Trees
Hypertufa Cacti

Please drop by Creative Corner at 344 E Main in Montrose, CO to look at the selection. There will be more as we get closer to planting season.

This hypertufa pot is in the curing process. The Petrified Forest cat petroglyph will be accented with paint once cured.
This uniquely shaped hypertufa pot is also curing. I think this one would be great with one of my live begonias.

Unique Hand-Painted Tile Clocks

Our unique hand-painted tile clocks are made from pre-used Habitat Restore tiles that are painted in colorful acrylic to depict stunning Colorado/Southwest scenery, adorable dogs/cats, and gorgeous flowers. These are NOT photo transfers – they are handpainted based on my photography. Each one is 100% one-of-a-kind. Clocks are 4×4, 6×6, and 8×8 inch sizes. Each comes with a stand for use on a desk or shelf. They can also be hung on the wall.

Items Currently Available at Creative Corner

(styles available may vary – please check with the store)

Items Currently Available on Etsy

(styles available will vary – please check current listings at Etsy Shop)

Plant Care Videos from The Midwife’s Nursery

I am working on making videos for the various houseplants that I sell on Etsy. I will be adding to these over time. I specialize in epiphyllum cactus varieties, rhizomatous begonias, various succulents and I have a few bromeliads. I will also add the outdoor plants I sell – right now, this is daylily, iris, banana yucca, and a few native southwest US plants. I am a small home-based nursery, so my selections vary with the availability of plants to propagate. Please enjoy the videos and let me know if there are specific ones you want to be added. Also, please follow Art from the Hartt on YouTube for my latest updates. #Houseplantcareinstructions #orchidcactus #queenofthenight

Epiphyllum Cactus Rooting and Care Instructions
Euphorbia Tirucalli Rooting and Care Instructions

Colorado and Southwest Travel Blog/Vlog

#Ilovetotravel! If I was younger, I might become a #vanlife person. Instead, I am a #HondaFit and a #tent person. I travel mainly with my three #chihuahuamix #dogs.

Late winter brings an annual trip to #Moab, UT. We visit the #BirthRock, #DeadHorsePointStatePark, #Canyonlands, #Arches and more. Then come the spring #canyonhikes and #dayhikes close to home. In April, we take a #roadtrip to the #SonoranDesert and back to #SouthwestColorado.

Then comes #campingseason. Generally, we camp a couple times a month. In summer, there is also a #campingroadtrip that is about a week of adventure. Camping season runs from May until early October, depending on the weather.

Why share that here on my Art from the Hartt site? Well, because I figure if you like my Colorado and Southwest photography and art, you will appreciate the stories behind them. I have been blogging about my travels for my grandkids, Maia and Isaac, for years and my blog is very much public. Please visit us here (Traveling Grandma and the Pup Crew). My dogs’ names are Kachina, Sazi, and Moki.

Starting 2022, I will be vlogging about my adventures and posting to YouTube, as well as sharing here. Please follow me on YouTube for the latest posts!

Travel Blog 2.22.22 from #MoabUT #DeadHorsePoint and #Canyonlands
#LyonsPark #MoabUtah #Travelvlog 2.23.22 #meetmydogs #rescuedogs #disableddogs #travelwithdogs
#ArchesNationalPark #TravelVlog 2.24.22 #Travelwithdogs #dogfriendlytravel #Archeswithsnow
#UtahHighway128 #ColoradoRiver #Utah #travelvlog 2.24.22 #moabtocisco

More to Come SOON!