December 11th 2020
Story by: Adam Gibeau
Anticipating her first outing into a maker’s market, new entrepreneur Drewe Leduc looks back on how crafting to keep busy during quarantine has led to her starting her first business. After growing her artistic ability, creating unique canvases, and hand-crafted jewelry, Leduc is ready to take her first venture, Desirable Expressions, to the people.
What started as a way to pass time has turned into a passion for filling people’s lives (and homes) with love. After picking up a paint brush for the first time in 10 years, Leduc found herself without passion, and “without passion,” she said, “the intimacy of creating art is lost.”
What happened next was a flash of inspiration. Desirable Expressions came into being after owner Leduc decided to incorporate paint, and embroidery. A mixture that allowed her to theme her creations, and create unique hand-made art. Once Leduc started mixing up the paints and threads the response was instant.
“I was just so surprised!” said Leduc. “I couldn’t have imagined that getting a little out there with the designs would have gotten so much attention.” As she worked more intimate designs into her canvases, she almost immediately saw the demand grow.” Leduc hopes to help promote confidence in people and help normalize sexuality by displaying some adult themes in her canvases.
Currently she is selling her products online through her Etsy store, and has seen clients place orders from all other North America. One customer in particular commissioned a custom themed 6-piece set for their living room.
Desirable Expressions is also looking to launch “seasonal” or “exclusive” lines of canvases, each hand made to fit the theme. Currently, Leduc is working on her holiday themed line up.
Undertaking this project has been no simple feat, as Leduc still works full-time, so she has been busy working late into the nights and she has been working with the Cornwall Busines Enterprise Centre as a learning resource, trying to learn what it takes to grow a small business.
As with her hand-stitched, custom-created canvases, Leduc looked to expand on an already exciting project by offering different types of handmade jewelry including beaded earrings, necklaces, and clay polymer studs.
“There is something so incredible about combining simple supplies to create something unique and beautiful.” noted Leduc.
This coming Saturday December 12th, you’ll be able to find Desirable Expressions in the Cornwall Square in the pop-up Square Marketplace.
Check out their website for more:
and follow them on Social Media!
