Interview with Monica Mejia Davenport of Hecho Lovely

You describe your work as "artfully transforming the ordinary. " What does that phrase mean to you, and how does it guide the pieces you create for Hecho Lovely?

To me, artfully transforming the ordinary is somewhat of a metaphor...what the world sees as the standard of value isn't what I see. I find value in the unseen. When ordinary, humble materials are placed in the perfect spot, they must be seen, yet they remain humble enough to let the other materials be seen too. They don’t compete. They are all beautiful alone, and even more beautiful together. That is what I see.

For example, I work with brass, not gold. I am not insinuating that gold and precious gems are not beautiful, because they truly are. However, I also see an equal beauty when looking beyond the traditional standard of value...finding immense worth in materials that feel far more alive. Given time, brass develops a rich, living patina that gold never could; it tells a story of time.

My canvases are miniature wooden palettes...wood that holds everything together like a collage, layering texture and intention into every piece. From there, I bring out the strongest qualities of each material, pairing them sometimes with paint, glass, paper, fabric, or stone to create something entirely new. I intuitively select materials the world might pass over and reveal the art waiting inside them.

Consider the magnolia leaf. Its earthly purpose is to nurture a flower before dropping silently away. Yet, when I look at its form, I discover a striking butterfly waiting to be released. Across my collections, materials interact in different ways...sometimes fused into unexpected harmonies, sometimes letting a single element stand entirely on its own. I prefer glass over precious gems, brass over gold. My discipline is simple: minimal materials that go together perfectly, as I feel and see it. For me, the most meaningful beauty is often the quietest...waiting patiently for someone to stop and truly see it. My work is simply an invitation for that beauty to be witnessed...subtly loud, distinctly personal, and entirely its own.

Many of your earrings incorporate materials such as flower petals, wood, paper, fabric, and stone. What draws you to these natural and often overlooked elements?

I love to be resourceful and these materials are open to anyone willing to look closely. Flowers live so beautifully for such a short time. They carry meaning, purpose, and quiet grace and then...they're gone. On hikes and walks, I'll spot one and bring it home, not to watch it fade, but to capture its existence forever. For me, I see beyond the flower...I can sometimes see a flame.

Wood is so versatile and strong; it is flexible with moisture, bending through the dampness, yet growing strong again once it dries. It holds contradiction and still stands. That complexity is necessary. Fabric scraps are often discarded, yet the pattern is too pretty, the piece too perfectly sized to let go. They deserve to be seen.

And stones, simple rocks found at rivers, forests, lakes. They surround us everywhere, natural and humble. Each one unique, each one with a quiet purpose all its own.

Your newest hand-painted palette earrings bring your canvas paintings into wearable form. What inspired you to transform your fine art into jewelry, and what do you hope people feel when they wear these miniature works of art?

In reference to La Galería collection and how I painted my way into earrings, was that I wanted this collection to feel like a miniature art gallery...a beautiful, almost quiet exhibition for the wearer. Due to life's demands, I can't always sit down with a large canvas, but the desire to create never leaves me.

How it happened. One day I found myself thinking: why not adorn myself with my own artwork? I have art on my walls, why not in my style? So I did…and they looked amazing! They complimented my messy bun, black blouse, red belt, skinny jeans, and black pointy flats. I also discovered how versatile they are, equally stunning with my messy bun, casual black strapless dress and sandals. The compliments were flattering. That's when I thought, I would love for others to feel extraordinary in their own style too.

There’s an unmistakable desire in me to paint red, fiery earth and wide, open blue skies. The landscape isn't just a backdrop. It's a language. The branches are a symbol of growth and expansion. A symbol of connection of one’s self...connections we made, connections lost, even the ones we miss. They reach anyway. The hot red earth symbolizes passion for life. The blue open sky, the symbolic meaning of imagination without restriction, a freedom that lives inside each of us.

There is a deep element of discipline to my process...a challenge to express everything, yet simplify it entirely. On such a small canvas, the restraint required is just as exciting as the moment it all finally comes together. My work is simply an invitation for that quiet beauty to be witnessed...to know it was made lovely...Hecho Lovely...in its own beautiful unique transformation. These are not large paintings that take months to complete. They are something more intimate, small enough to wear, powerful enough to carry meaning and grab attention. And there is only one of each, just as there is only one of you. What I hope you feel when you wear them is simple: that you are just as beautiful as the art itself. That the art piece you wear is not just an accessory, but a quiet reflection of your own expression, your own story.

Your collections are rooted in symbolism and storytelling. How do ideas and themes evolve into finished pieces, and where do you find inspiration for these narratives?

The Art of Emotion and Memory

My deepest inspiration is emotion and memory. I must feel something to paint. I ask myself...is this feeling warm? Sad? Joyful? I explore memory with that emotion alongside music, painting to a mix of alternative, indie, and Mexican music depending on my mood...a process that directly shapes the direction of each piece. For example, I might begin painting to 'Untitled' by The Cure, watch my mood shift midway to 'Si Ya Te Vas' by Chelo, and later transition to 'In Everything you Do' by The Mighty Lemon Drops. This beautiful pattern can somtimes go on for hours. Through it all, my brush intuitively mirrors each shifting rhythm, guiding the artwork onto an unexpected, beautiful path by evoking emotion and memories. It is an amazing process. This is how my subconscious steps in, bringing dreamlike stories safely into the physical world. Music is a vessel that has always moved me by channeling positive energy into my brush through every phase of joy, reflection, and deep gratitude.

Themes~Ancestry~History

Sometimes a specific theme sparks art. For example, there was a call for artists to explore the winter solstice, a subject I had never considered before. I'm so glad I did. I explored it on such a personal level that I simply had to share it, and the Winter Solstice collection was born. It was rooted in my own metaphorical experience of that season...the darkness, the waiting, and the return of light. It was such a beautiful experience that I'm already planning more.

Other times, art history awakens something buried deep within me. My painting Spirits of the Heart, was inspired by Frida Kahlo's The Two Fridas and her depiction of the sick and healthy selves, and how one cannot exist without the other. It spoke to me profoundly as I was approaching 50. It awakened a hidden wound I thought had healed...one that needed to be gently explored only through art.

For many years I painted quietly, believing you needed an art degree to have the privilege of calling yourself a true artist. I truly used to believe that. But at 49, submerged in my painting...it was like a veil came off. It was through this specific painting experience, Spirits of the Heart in 2023, that I released what no longer worked for me. I shed old beliefs to step into my own light, finally claiming my identity as an artist.

This artwork became the ultimate catalyst for everything to come...the very silent birth of Hecho Lovely. I gave myself permission to let go of past versions of myself in order to step fully into my purpose. For the first time, I said it out loud: I am an artist. In that process, I realized I was carrying my entire family lineage with me. I felt God and my ancestors guiding my hand; I knew I was not painting alone.

As a first-generation Mexican American, how do your cultural roots and lived experiences inform your artistic perspective and the identity of Hecho Lovely?

My Artistic Identity

My cultural roots are the foundation of who I am. There's art in my Mexican cooking, my love of gardening, the Spanish language, my faith, my music, and a fierce, inherited refusal to give up. I will always focus on the positives, and with that, I am deeply grateful for my padre, who taught me the power of true independence and multitasking...making sure I knew the value of hard work, how to be a woman of my word, how to handle extreme stress without complaining, and the lessons of farming, mowing a lawn, changing a flat tire, the power of up-cycling, and handling whatever needed handling. And especially to my madre, who gave me a beautiful blueprint for homemaking, womanhood, and motherhood. Through her simple actions, she taught me faith, manners, resourcefulness, and the quiet dignity found in cooking, cleaning, and good communication skills.

My resilient Mexican parents from Jalisco and Colima simply wanted a better life for us in America and I don’t take it for granted. I didn't grow up knowing it at the time; it wasn't until I was much older that I could look back and see their lessons as a true gift. But between the two of them, I learned so much...and I finally understood that nothing was truly beyond me. Growing up, hardship, heartache, and daydreaming were my normal. I began working in the fields at age five alongside my parents and siblings during school vacations, and sometimes immediately after school through cold winters and hot summers. At the time, I didn't fully understand what that experience was giving me: the dignity of hard work. As an adult, I finally understood that it wasn't a burden, but a pathway to survive and create. It taught me how to hold many things at once under extreme pressure and still bring out my absolute best. We were never allowed to complain; we just kept moving.

In retrospect, those early years were preparing me for everything that followed...the discipline, the endurance, the ability to find beauty in hard seasons. As a child, it felt these life lessons were a punishment. Now, I know it was a gift. To cope with the discomfort of the fields, I retreated into my imagination and eventually, that imagination became my art. I was constantly daydreaming in the classroom, much to my teachers' frustration, lol. But those quiet moments of escape were never laziness or disrespect; they were my survival. They were the safe spaces where I could process the world and find beauty amidst the struggle.

At the age of 51, I stand tall and proud of my humble art; it certainly did not happen overnight. Through every single brushstroke, I healed deeper wounds than any traditional therapy session ever could. My art became the safe harbor where my soul could process life and transform old hardships into peace. Alongside God’s grace, the foundation provided by my parents, the loving support of my husband, and the unconditional love of my three sons...art brought light back into my world. I bring that exact same resilience, positivity and work ethic into every single artwork I make.

That same spirit runs through Hecho Lovely today. I do it all from the product photography and crafting the earrings themselves, to the packaging, Instagram, website, and shipping out orders, all while still showing up fully for my family. The fields taught me that. You learn to hold many things at once under pressure, and you just keep moving. I don’t have it all figured out, but I am embracing every step of this journey with so much gratitude.

Ancestral Honor & Faith

My parents' courage inspired me to lean on faith and make bold moves...alchemizing hardship into beauty. When I made the decision to create Hecho Lovely, I felt a warm embrace...a profound desire to make my ancestors proud, as if I had been instructed to give them a voice. My painting, Spirits of the Heart, became a guiding light during that creation. It echoes themes of sacrifice, resilience, and courage that I wanted to embody, because I hold all of them within me.

The fact that my parents left everything behind to start a new life in a country where they didn't know English required a bravery that is now deeply engraved in my fiber. I held on to that faith, made bold moves, and chose to transform hardship into beauty by leaving the unpleasant behind and sharing the gifts God gave me. For me, this business is a partnership. I show up with my gifts and share what I see...and God provides the light. My business is simply an act of showing up...and sharing what beauty looks like to me, and to you.

The Bridge of Language & Symbols

Growing up, Spanish was my first language and by my father's firm approach, it was strictly spoken within our home. We children were never allowed to speak English around our parents. At the time, it felt like an unnecessary rule since we live in America.

Looking back, I understand it was a ritual, a bond, a quiet act of preservation. English came later, through school and the world outside our front door. And yet today, without hesitation, I speak only Spanish with my parents. That discipline shaped me in ways I am still discovering…it created a unique duality in my identity. Two languages. Two worlds. One self. When I created Hecho Lovely, honoring both languages wasn't just a choice, it was a necessity. It is a bridge between the heritage of my family and the world I navigate today. Hecho Lovely was Made Lovely.

The Logo: A Story of Prayer & Signs

My logo came to me through prayer. From a very young age, my mother taught me the most important phrase of my life: Dáselo a Dios...meaning to give it to God, to trust, and to surrender entirely. So when I found myself overwhelmed by the enormity of starting something so big from scratch and making my art public, I did exactly what she taught me to do. I asked for guidance.

Shortly after, I was out in our courtyard with my husband when we looked over and saw a hummingbird nesting right at eye level in our ficus tree...as if she had been placed there just for me. She went on to bless us with seven babies, a beautiful sign that I took as a divine signal. In my culture, the hummingbird is a powerful symbol, carrying the spirit of resilience, unconditional love, and the warrior within. It was a perfect reflection of everything this journey was asking me to be.

And then, there is El Sagrado Corazón—the Sacred Heart. This was a symbol first introduced to me by my mother, the strongest woman I have ever known, my hero, and my ultimate role model. Today, the Sacred Heart remains a lifelong testament to the unwavering faith that anchors my work, my purpose, and everything Hecho Lovely stands for. My mother's faith became my foundation...and it shows up beautifully in every single piece I create.

You wear many hats—artist, entrepreneur, wife, and mother. How has motherhood influenced your creativity, and what role does it play in shaping your purpose as an artist and artisan?

Motherhood Metamorphosis

Motherhood has fundamentally shaped me as an artist. The birth of my children changed me forever, revealing the boundless capacity of my heart to give and receive unconditional love. For the first time, I recognized the true face of love...a profound purpose and direction that words alone could not express. I had to paint the profound emotion.

While some of my pieces touch on pregnancy and my children, the core of my work is a deeply personal journey of self-exploration and healing. Painting is where my soul processes life, finding beauty, resilience, and restoration in the tiniest of details.

Throughout their childhood, my children always saw me creating. They witnessed me painting, sewing clothes and costumes, cooking, playing loud music, and bringing their bedroom and bathroom walls to life with colorful murals. I was the mom who did arts and crafts in the classroom as a mommy helper. In 2009, my two oldest were right there with me at my community college student exhibition, watching their mom receive an award for her beginner's art class, and cheering me on as I performed on stage with my beginner's jazz dance class. In our lives, art was never separate from home; it was woven into the very fabric of our everyday experience. I have always tried to foster a deep love for creativity in them by modeling its power for free self-exploration whether through painting, cooking, gardening, or simply a shared love for music. I may never know the full impact of those years, but my deepest hope is that somewhere in their subconscious, the true importance and power of art took root.

My Visual Diary

Mi Nido—is a tribute to my firstborn flying the nest. It traces the bittersweet arc from holding a newborn in a hospital room to waving goodbye at the door...that tender, aching space between holding on and letting go, between emptiness, growth, and a new life chapter.

Te Amo Desde La Raíz — is my heartfelt expression of the physical and spiritual journey of my three pregnancies. It captures the overwhelming gratitude I carry for the privilege of holding God's gift, first in my body, then in my arms. The thin gold dome represents protection…God's protection, a mother's protection, a sacred covering over new life. The warm, red landscape below speaks to a love that is not just felt, but needed—blending gently into the form of the uterus. This is my visual interpretation of Psalm 139:13: 'For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.’

Asking a Lot —was my final project piece in my beginners art class and became something far greater. It is a tribute to the resilience of my two oldest children, who through their own quiet strength, lifted me during the most heaviest seasons of our lives. It is a testament to the courage it takes to show up when life is hard and painful and asks everything of you and you show up anyway with pure love. When displayed at the 2009 FCC student exhibition, it caught the eye of Dr. Azari, who saw in it a reflection of the condition of the world. That moment reminded me of something I never want to forget...art moves people in ways words never could.

Every Hecho Lovely piece is handmade, one of a kind, and created with intention. What else would you say is part of the core mission of your brand?

The Hecho Lovely Mission

My mission is simply to celebrate what is already there...you are beautiful regardless. You have your own style, your own story, and your own quiet power. My pieces are an invitation to wear what you already know to be true about yourself. If an Hecho Lovely piece resonates with you, that's not a coincidence…that's your own style speaking. Each creation is a daily reminder that you are Hecho Lovely — Made Lovely. Not by what you wear, but by who you are.

And know that when you wear my art, you're not just wearing an earring...even among pieces with slight variations, yours is uniquely yours, just as you are the only one with your depth, your history, your quiet beauty.

If you choose to adorn yourself with Hecho Lovely, it would be such an honor to be part of your story.