At just 14 years old, a Florence Chapel Middle School student has turned her passion into a business.
McKenzie Silvers, an eighth grader, started painting spirit rocks for children's birthdays about two years ago. She would mostly paint them for family friends or children of her teachers, spending hours after school turning the rough canvases into unique pieces.
“I do my job for fun, not just for money,” Silvers said. “I also love to see when kids are happy, especially with the spirit rocks.”
Last year, Silvers decided to turn these side projects into a full business — McKenzie Silvers Creations Art & More. While it started with spirit rock painting, Silvers started selling jewelry and other art pieces this past summer.
Silvers loves working with just about any medium of art. She says her love started early in her childhood, stemming from time she spent at her grandmother’s house.
“Growing up, I would stay at my grandma’s, [and] she has a giant craft room,” Silvers said. “She’s a big crafter and she loves making cards, especially. So I grew up making stuff [and] always creating things at her house.”
One of the things Silvers enjoyed making the most was dollhouses. She would construct the houses out of cardboard boxes and spend the day designing all of the little elements that would go inside.
“Every time I’d come over there, she’d have a different Barbie box,” said Amber Silvers, McKenzie’s mom. “It made me see that she had a gift. Not everybody can just put stuff together like that.”
Though not yet in high school, Silvers already has a good idea of what she wants her future to look like. She sees herself going to college for art before eventually establishing a career. Right now, a tattoo artist or an animator are her top picks.
Some of McKenzie Silvers’ work
Silver’s mom says that, as she and her husband saw Silvers grow more passionate, they did what they could to encourage her. Silvers has overtook one of the rooms in their house completely, turning it into her studio.
In addition to support from her family, Silvers says that her teachers have been extremely helpful in making her a better artist. She currently takes honors art at Florence Chapel, which she says is her favorite class.
“[McKenzie] is an extremely kind, talented and creative young artist. She always approaches art projects with a high level of skill as she expresses her ideas,” said Stephen Harrison, Silver’s art teacher at school. “I know she will continue to be successful in art or whatever she pursues in the future.”
Moving forward, Silvers says she hopes to continue to get the word out about her business, attending more markets and getting her work into local shops. Currently, some of her work is for sale at Natives Rest, a store in Chimney Rock, N.C.
Silvers’ mom Amber says she hopes that this business will give Silvers an opportunity to gain some practical skills for her future career. More than this, though, she hopes that Silvers is able to continue to grow in her craft and remember to always be herself.
“I'm proud of her — how much she accomplished at this age and how independent she is,” Amber Silvers said. “It makes me happy to know she's got a good start with this, and hopefully will continue to go throughout her life [having] a good head on her shoulders.”
On Oct. 18, Silvers will be at the Greer Artisan Makers Market selling her work. Learn more about the market, here. To see more of McKenzie Silvers’ work, follow McKenzie Silvers Creations on Facebook.
Follow Breanna Laws on X @GreerByBreanna
