At just eight years old, Tess Cranford walked into Old Town Artisan Studios for the first time, attending a Paint Your Own Pottery birthday party at its former Main Street location. Years later, she is no longer a young student experimenting with paint and clay. Tess is now an instructor, helping others discover the same creative spark that shaped her story.
Tess grew up surrounded by art. From an early age, she showed an interest in a variety of creative mediums, and her parents made it a priority to nurture that curiosity. Whether it was painting, pottery, or workshops, she enrolled in classes whenever she could. When she discovered that Old Town Artisan Studios offered a wide range of programs, it quickly became her artistic home base.
“I was very lucky that I had a lot of opportunities to take classes,” Tess recalls. “I did all of the kid classes, pottery, painting, and workshops.”
While she enjoyed the structure of youth classes, Tess soon realized she felt more at ease in a different environment. By the age of 11, she found herself gravitating toward classes with adult students.
Her comfort around older adults stemmed from her upbringing. With a father who worked as a pastor, Tess spent much of her childhood interacting with people decades older than herself.
“I was kind of like a little sponge,” she said. “Everyone had something different to say, and I loved hearing their perspectives.”
That openness to learning became a defining trait.
“I feel like I’ve learned so many things non-stop, especially about teaching and how to explain things in a way that all ages can understand,” she reflects.
Tess also embraced feedback early on, understanding that growth requires patience and persistence. When her mother gave her some candid advice—“It’s not always going to be perfect. You’re going to make bad art for a while, but it’ll work out as long as you’re willing to learn”—she began to experiment without fear of failure.
Soon, Tess transitioned into adult classes with permission, where she thrived. One of her most memorable experiences was a pastel class taught by a spirited instructor she affectionately remembers as “Miss Laura.”
“She was about four feet tall and the spiciest little lady,” Tess recalled. “I learned so much about color, and that’s when I realized pastels were my first love.”
By middle and high school, Tess was honing her skills, showcasing her work in art shows at Old Town Artisan Studios, and even selling some of her pieces.
“I really enjoyed it. It was fun, and I learned a lot,” she said. “I loved being in that setting.”
After earning her associate’s degree in Studio Art, Tess’ path back to Old Town Artisan Studios came unexpectedly. While working at Cali Rosina, a local tea shop, she mentioned to a regular—who happened to be connected to the organization—that she was looking for work. Within a week, she received a call offering her an interview.
“I didn’t even know what I was applying for,” she said with a laugh. “I told them I’d do anything, clean floors, take out the trash. I just wanted to be there.”
She was hired onto the Community Engagement team, where she has spent the past two years teaching art in a variety of community settings, including programs with the YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, and groups serving individuals with special needs and Alzheimer’s disease.
She especially likes working with kids through the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), providing art experiences to students who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity.
“If I can help them develop a love of art here, and they start looking for it at a young age, it’s going to keep growing,” she said. “But if they don’t have anywhere to look, they’re never going to know.”
For Tess, the best thing about teaching is seeing her students’ reactions and their faces light up when they finish a project.
“I love seeing what they’re capable of, because, now that I’m an adult I see what other people saw in me, and I want to feed into that the way they did for me,” she explained. “I want to make them feel celebrated and taken care of, while giving the constructive criticism that they need.”
“If someone remembers that you told them they did something well, it sticks,” she added.
Tess is also a firm believer in curiosity. Known for asking what she jokingly calls “a million questions,” she encourages her students to do the same.
“I tell kids all the time, ‘Ask as many questions as you need,’” she said. “I can’t help you if you don’t say it out loud.”
Her passion for teaching is matched by her dedication to maintaining art as a daily practice.
“Art is like breathing for me,” she said. “I’m like a little shark that needs to swim. If I stop, I feel like I’m not myself.”
Today, her work often centers on the human figure, which she approaches with an emphasis on respect and authenticity. Inspired by classical traditions, she aims to capture the natural beauty and softness of the body in a modern context.
Above all, Tess remains committed to growth for herself and her students. She continues to learn from others and experiment with new techniques.
Looking back, she sees her journey to Old Town Artisan Studios as something almost inevitable.
“I loved being able to come here when I was a kid,” she said. “I enjoyed making art and people showing me how. The whole point of art is to share it with the world; you don’t want to hide it away where no one can enjoy it. Now that I know how, I can share it with others.”
