What do you get when you combine a passion for the outdoors with a creative spirit and artistic talent?
For Stephanie Daniels, you get a dream come true. In fact, Brushes and Boots, Stephanie's Tucson-based small business, is a culmination of two dreams: to be an artist and to share her hiking adventures with others.
"When I first moved to Tucson...I thought the desert was dry and devoid of life, but since living here I've found it holds an abundance of life and color and it has been endlessly inspiring to me." -Stephanie Daniels, Brushes and Boots
Stephanie was a contented city dweller who thought she would always live and work in Chicago until she discovered the mountains and fell in love with hiking and backpacking. In 2016 she found herself heading west, but didn't necessarily expect to end up in Tucson. When she arrived in Arizona, she fell in love with the diversity of the Arizona landscape and the many, many mountains.
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Living in the southwest, Stephanie began to set bigger hiking goals for herself every year, and she began documenting her hiking journeys on her Brushes and Boots blog. In the summer of 2019, Stephanie completed her greatest outdoor achievement to date - hiking 230 miles of the John Muir Trail in the California Sierras. Even in light of this huge accomplishment, Stephanie remembers what it was like to be a hiking beginner, and she loves sharing what she has learned in hopes of inspiring others, especially women, to get out hiking and exploring.
"I love to show off the beauty I've found by sharing hiking guides and my watercolor artwork. I hope it will inspire others to get out and explore all that Arizona has to offer." -Stephanie Daniels, Brushes and Boots
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Always creative, Stephanie had once dreamed of being a full-time artist, but in Chicago she had channeled her creativity into cooking and baking. As her love of hiking grew, being outdoors also reignited her love of painting. She began to share her work on Brushes and Boots, and to create nature-inspired prints, greeting cards and stickers that others can purchase and enjoy. When people are safely able to gather again, Stephanie would like to expand Brushes and Boots to host hiking and plein air painting workshops in the Tucson area, and to continue to share the joy of art and the outdoors with others.
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In the meantime, she invites anyone interested in hiking, painting, or the beautiful desert landscape to visit Brushes and Boots. Read the hiking guides and browse the art products. You can purchase items right from the website to be shipped directly to you or to a gift recipient of your choice (shipping and handling is included in the prices).
This holiday season, Brushes and Boots is offering a sale on packs of wildflower stickers and a FREE gift with any purchase of $15 or more.
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Visit www.brushesandboots.com.
You can also find Brushes and Boots on
Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest at @brushesandboots.
