We’re thrilled to introduce you to the newest members of the Keepsake family! Hallmark asked them to give us some background on who they are, where they are from, and what inspires them as artists.

Emma Leturgez-Smith

Emma: “I grew up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and was there until leaving for college in Colorado. From there, I made my way to Kansas!”

Emma: “I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing, painting or sculpting. When I was a teenager, I started to get the wild idea that maybe I was onto something.”

Emma: “I went to the Rocky Mountain College of Art+ Design in Denver. where I graduated with a BFA in Illustration.”

Emma: “Video games, cartoons and landscapes are big sources of inspiration for me, but sometimes random things like an appealing combination of colors can also be inspiring.”

Emma: “It was about the same time I started to realize that art was something I really wanted to pursue, I wanted to find something that I love to do that could also bring a smile to someone’s face.”

Emma: “The collaborative creative energy!”

Emma: “Definitely SHARING them!”

Emma: “Kicking back and playing the video game is probably my go-to hobby, though. I still do a lot of doodling and sculpting on my own time.”

Emma: “Most of the ornaments I’ve sculpted form home were done with a talkative Parrot hooting in my ear.”

Emma has been contributing to Keepsakes as a freelancer since 2016. See the carousel below for a review of the ornaments she has created.