Women In The City Extra: Rebecca Gardy

Former New Yorker Rebecca Gardy, armed with a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University and a Masters in Business Adminstration from Emory University, was a banker and consultant in another life. Now, as the owner of a creative art studio, Gardy, 41, has teamed up with her husband to focus on a business about culture and creativity. The couple and their two children live in Smyrna.

 Describe the work you do, how long you’ve been there: My husband and I own and operate Sketchy’s Art Pad – a creative art studio focused on inspiring creativity which we opened in August 2006. We are truly a left brain/right brain team – he is the creative talent, and I run the joint.

Your green ah-ha moment? My ah-ha moment was when I realized that "found object art," using recycled materials and transforming everyday objects into works of art, are not only great exercises in promoting creative thinking and perception, but are wonderful at instilling environmental awareness.

What you wanted to be at age 6: Pilot.

One eco-friendly tip: Find a place – your basement, garage, an extra closet – which you can designate to keep "cool" recyclable materials that can be transformed.

Atlanta’s most pressing environmental issue: Suburban sprawl, and the resultant traffic congestion and environmental pressures that arise.

Three adjectives that describe you: Nurturing, passionate, pragmatic.

Your favorite recycled object or objet: An antique infant bathtub from Hungary that we use as a clean-up sink at the studio.

Pet peeve? Rude drivers who jeopardize the safety of others.

Best advice from your mother or father: Follow your heart.

An event that changed your life: The death of my father at age 60, when I was just 30, made me realize how fragile and fleeting life is.

What are you currently reading? The Little Prince with my son.

Is there something you collect? Cultural masks from around the world – from Bali, Mexico, China and Africa.

The last CD you bought: Mondo Exotica – part of the Ultra Lounge series.

Do you have an eco-destination to recommend? A truly unexpectedly beautiful place right here in Atlanta is Sweetwater Creek Park in Lithia Springs. Yet, it can be an eye-opening experience after a good rain; you can see all sorts of trash – plastic jugs, cans, balls, etc. – that get washed away into our sewers and streams, and end up spoiling the environment.