Our small business was started after my husband, Randy, and I reconciled after a 19-year divorce. It was quite a journey with twists and turns that led us home. We learned that our story of restoration resonates and encourages many who hear it, so we decided to tell it through making art pieces out of reclaimed materials, hence the name “Made to Encourage”. We make unique abstract landscape pieces out of wood. I design, cut, and paint the scenes and Randy makes the frames from old pallet posts. I have used photos of views and vistas from North Carolina, such as Grandfather Mountain, Pilot Mountain, and the Blue Ridge Parkway, as inspiration, but I really love coming up with a setting and playing with color combinations, especially with waves and water tableaus, or sunbursts. My goal is to create something lovely and special; a visual that brings a smile to all who see it.