Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Osborne.
Hi Nicole, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I began keeping exotic animals at around age 16. Growing up on a small farm, I had always loved the variety of farm animals we had – cats, dogs, horses, cows, chickens, etc.
When introduced to reptiles, I was so excited to be able to create miniature enclosures and environments for my pets. I’ve also been creative for as long as I can remember, spending my spare time drawing, painting, writing, and building. The reptile hobby allowed for my love of animals and the arts to be combined.
Following college at Penn State, I began my art teaching career in Montgomery County MD. I also began building a larger exotic pet collection and expanding my knowledge and keeping practices – along with skyrocketing electric bills. I decided that I would love to spend my summers educating folks about reptiles to defray some keeping costs, and so Reptile Smiles was born.
I started small, doing programs at North Carroll Branch Library where my mother was a children’s librarian. Over the past 7 years, I’ve grown to do story times, large programs, festivals, birthdays, and all kinds of events in both PA and MD. I currently have around 60 animals at home (including some warm-blooded and avian friends) and continue to raise my levels of keeping and husbandry.
I’ve recently moved into a studio space in Downtown York PA at Creatives on King where I do art classes integrated with animal models! I’m currently working on my Master’s in Clinical Psychology to eventually offer Art and Animal Therapy!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While I love animals, I must say they can be a TON of work. Many days, I spend mornings before work caring for animals, then come home to do another hour – 2 hours of care. Things break, animals destroy things, and I’m constantly trying to make enclosures bigger and better – creating more and more work.
As my business has grown, it’s become difficult to navigate a full-time job on top of a flourishing small business. It’s so exciting to be growing and reaching new places and audiences, but it’s also a lot of pressure to maintain standards, come up with new and exciting programming, and make sure my animals are well cared for.
Moving into a studio space has been incredibly exciting AND challenging. I’m able to further my pursuits as a working artist, share animals with a new audience, and merge my interests. I LOVE being at Creatives on King and participating in the Royal Square District in York, but it also creates more tasks and events to balance.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I feel like I have many different creative pursuits that take me in all directions! I love building and maintaining animal enclosures/environments which is an art form in itself. In the studio, I love painting portraits with oil, creating lino block prints, and creating Sola wood flowers for events and decor. My pets often inspire my artwork and I enjoy incorporating natural elements collected from the forest into my artwork.
I feel strongly that art should be an individualistic experience and that my role as an art educator is to support and guide my students toward their self-defined goals, rather than provide a cookie-cutter experience. I enjoy sharing my studio space and practice, encouraging people of all ages and artistic skill levels to try something new and engage in artmaking.
My work is shown in the Gallery of Creatives on King and has been in other York County shows including those at The Gallery at the Old Post Office in Hanover PA, as well as a traveling collaborative exhibit “unentitled”. I’m looking forward to traveling through Maryland and PA for more festivals and events both for Reptile Smiles and for selling/exhibiting my artwork!
Along with opening my studio at Creatives on King, I am also the curator who handles the intake and display of work. I’ve been loving this role and the opportunity to connect with other local artists as well as work closely with owner Reagan Bitler. We both share a vision of unique art experiences and opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to interact with art.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Covid was a strange and stressful time – as a public school teacher, life had to continue with major efforts put towards problem-solving and creating a safe environment for staff and students at school. Large summer programs were put on hold for Reptile Smiles, but I still had a great time with smaller groups.
Moving past Covid, it was heartening to see a focus on uplifting the arts, especially in New York City. I became much more involved in my wider arts community and was able to create more art and animal experiences! I also met many fantastic mentors who have contributed greatly to my growth as a small business owner, educator, and artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reptilesmiles.com/ AND. https://www.nicoleosborne.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reptilesmiless/ AND https://www.instagram.com/nicole_osborne_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reptilesmiless
