Elk Grove entrepreneur started creating art with twist ties. Now he’s selling his crafts
As a child, Curtis Ross IV would make crafts from the twist ties his parents brought home from the grocery store.
His parents Stephanie and Curtis Ross III Ross recalled young Curtis Ross demonstrating a love for craftsmanship from a young age. When he was 12, he made his first pen. But even before that the elder Curtis Ross could recall when he and his wife would watch movies, an infant Curtis Ross, would build Lego characters based on the people he’d seen on the screen.
“Oh my God. He’d have a whole army built in two seconds. (He’s) a creative one,” the elder Curtis Ross said. “Anything that has to do with building or making something? That’s my boy here. He’s had it his entire life…he’s always had an artistic flair.”
The younger Curtis Ross, now 20, started a handcrafted jewelry and gifts business called Look Who Arted Designs.
He can create art and handicraft gifts from wirework, woodwork, plastic work or molding, glassblowing, and metalwork. Some examples are pens, pots, slingshots, kaleidoscopes, aromatherapy necklaces, rings, earrings, and wire trees.
The younger Curtis Ross hopes to continue make objects for a long time to come.
“Honestly, I’d have a more enjoyable time just doing (this) instead of sitting behind a desk,” he said. “If anything needs to be made, I can do it. If anything needs to be crafted, I can do it. Any ideas (you have) I can make it. I honestly love doing this.”
Curtis Ross currently attends Sacramento City College. He plans to obtain his Associates of Art degree before transferring to Sacramento State for his bachelor’s degree.
He’s taking business and marketing classes because he wants to, one day, open his own shop.
Supporting a creative vision
Curtis Ross moved with his parents from Citrus Heights to Elk Grove when he was 12.
He attended and graduated from Cosumnes Oaks High School, where he met his girlfriend, Vibha Torres-Royal, who is also an artist and helps with painting different artworks that he has for sale.
“She was more into painting and drawing. I was more into sculpting and actual 3D-modeling,” Curtis Ross said. “We’re definitely two different fields but we just kind of hung out, and then started taking a liking (for each other). I learned a bit from her. She learned a bit from me.”
Torres-Royal said he deserves all the credit.
“He knew I did art but I don’t like to sell stuff just because I’m nervous,” Torres-Royal said. “But he was like, ‘no, it’s fine, (just) participate.’”
He’s starting to purchase the products necessary for his creations, but at first, it was mom or dad who funded his vision.
“We help out,” Stephanie Ross said. “I guess we are financing all the materials to start out with. But (since) he started, he started to get a lot of it himself.”
One of the things he didn’t do himself was come up with the name of his business.
He left that up to his younger sister, Makaila Ross, who thought back to a show they watched as kids.
Makaila Ross, 18, said the name came from 2014 animated TV series “All Hail King Julien”, a spinoff of DreamWorks movie “Madagascar.”
“They had this whole episode about an art show and talking about people ‘arted’ everywhere,” she said. “I was like that’s kind of like you… your art will just show up around the house like you ‘arted’ everywhere.”
The family held a pop-up last week at the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival. Their canopy drew in dozens of customers who walked away with new gifts and crafts. It was their second year as a participating vendor.
“It really helps him with his confidence,” the senior Curtis Ross said. “It helps him. It shows the work that he does has quality and people really do like his work. We want to make sure we continue to encourage him and others to continue forward with what their passions are.”
