13-year-old artist turns her passion into full-fledged business

Think back to what you were doing at 13 years old. For many of us — 13 meant friends, video games, maybe a little shopping.

For Emily Pisano — 13 means sharpening her skills, boosting her business and evolving her art.

“When I first started doing art, it started more like drawings and painting on canvas,” Emily explained.

Traditional art transformed into more creative pieces.

Emily started collecting pieces of wood to paint.. then ventured into handmade jewelry.

Her most popular pieces consist of acrylic paint tossed on a canvas, then using a hairdryer as a paintbrush.

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“It looks really cool and it blends together and looks like tie-dye,” she said.

Her most unique pieces right now are bowls made from magazine pages torn out and tightly rolled into different shapes and sizes.

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“I can see my evolution, I guess,” Emily said, laughing.

The lake, just a block from their home, provides countless hours of inspiration — sunsets, especially.

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Behind every brilliant artist and entrepreneur, there’s a pair of proud parents.

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“Ever since she’s been a little girl, we’ve seen the creative side of her,” said dad Matt.

It’s not just the creativity keeping Emily busy.

The 13-year-old takes her goods to sell at local markets — most recently, Vermillion’s Market in the Park.

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Matt said she’s the lessons she’s learning are “nothing a classroom could give you…She’s getting the entrepreneurial part of it, and she’s learning how to make a little money with her passion and hobby.”

For mom Molly, it’s as though the tables have turned, literally.

“It’s just neat to see my little shopping buddy and now she’s on the other side of the booth selling her goods.”

With her parents’ full support, including letting her take over the family shed as her art expands, Emily’s art is now a business.

The reactions to it just inspire her to keep going and growing.

“I like that it’s all different and how I made up the own idea myself, it was my own inspiration,” Emily said.