Sasha Riley customizes candles at Kiss My Wax.
Riley, who moved to Prescott Valley last year, owned a boutique in the art community of Idyllwild, California, and moved here because of the bustling and welcoming Prescott art community.
Her candles are unique, she says, because the scents are nostalgic – they take people back to times they want to remember. “A lot of my candles are customized to what the customer tells me is the scent that they want. I can create what they want.”
During the shows, she offers ready-made candles for customers to choose from and she also takes orders for customized ones. “I ask them: What do you want this to smell like?”
The candles are Riley’s primary product, but she also dabbles in many forms of art, as she is a metal smith and a jeweler.
“My main focus is on sustainability as all my ingredients are natural. I use all natural oils. I use an all-natural coconut mix, so it burns really clean.”
She says most candle makers use a soy mix, but she prefers the coconut mix.
Another art form she uses is copper art and brass. She also creates sculptures out of manzanita. “Some have butterflies, and some give you a scaled down version of a fairy garden,” she said.
She paints murals as well, including one of the Northern Lights. “I bounce from one medium to the others.”
Riley hopes to open her own gallery in downtown Prescott. “People tell me my art belongs in galleries.”
While Riley says it brings her joy to create what customers want. “It makes my heart smile. It’s spiritual. I love it when they take it home and put it in their house. That’s what’s most rewarding.”
Reflecting on an unstable childhood, she says she needs to stay positive to create. “It was a tumultuous time and art was my outlet. It helped me get away from my home life and it was a way to express myself.”
Thus, her life, she notes, is a classic example of how art can benefit people. “It saved me. It brought out creativity that I didn’t know I had.” QCBN
By Stan Bindell, QCBN
For more information, call Kiss My Wax at 951-692-2015.
Courtesy Photo: Sasha Riley brings candles, jewelry, metal work and sculptures to the Quad Cities.
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