As the daughter of an Air Force test pilot, Melinda moved constantly as a child… Travel is in her blood. She spent much of her high school years in the Philippines, and was able to travel throughout the far east. After receiving a BA in Graphic Design from the University of Florida, she began her career in Boston... then was lured to NYC with an offer to become the Art Director for WABC-TV. After 2 years she relocated to Los Angeles to start her own business- Lawton Design. She earned two National Emmy Award Nominations for her work in Main Title Design for film and television.

Her passion of making jewelry jumped to the forefront when she realized that the jewelry she was creating out of beautiful gemstones for herself in her spare time, could become another outlet for her creativity. As a designer for film and television for almost 30 years, Melinda has always seen the world in color, texture, form, and movement. This background was perfect as she transitioned into jewelry design.

Esther Moorehead was born in Toronto, Canada. She has lived in Canada, Northern Ireland, and the USA. She grew up immersing herself in many creative outlets, from drawing and painting, to stage design and small theatre production, to church music and event planning.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Art Education in South Carolina in 2005, she returned to Toronto to begin her career as a high school art educator. During that time she was married and had two children. She began taking painting commissions and began to build her career as a full time studio artist.

A month after the birth of her first child, Esther faced a cancer diagnosis that reshaped her perspective of life and the purpose for her work. She realized that every moment of life is valuable. Even in the darkest places, hope always accompanies life—hope to love and learn; to work together; to build and create; to forgive and change. Now cancer-free, Esther’s desire is to create work that reflects gratitude for God-given life and love, and instils a grounding sense of future hope.

When her family relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2018, she used the opportunity to develop new relationships with galleries and arts organizations, as well as build a network of artists and creatives. She has exhibited her work in galleries and public spaces in Canada and the USA and won awards in a variety of competitions in the USA. Her paintings also reside in private collections worldwide.