Love Hits the Mark was created to emulate and capture how complicated Love can be. The art in bookmarks, visualized in 2012, were a natural step for artist and book author, Mechelle Esparza-Harris. A lifelong advocate for the education, safety and welfare of children and young adults, her published tween books and tween game, Love, Relationships & You, rooted in the principles of Love, spilled over into her love of Art, creating the art in bookmark series. The back of each bookmark lists the principles of love as a reminder, though love can be complicated, if we pull back the layers, we find it is always true, steadfast and never changing.
Mechelle has loved Art since she was a child. In high school she was introduced to pointillism and would spend hours working on pieces in that medium, envisioning a career as an artist. Her mom didn’t agree, directing her towards a college education with the statement, “you’re not going to sit around doing that dot, dot, dot, all day.” Following mom’s direction, Mechelle completed her education at Hampton University, working in the field of underwriting and risk management, while continuing her art in pointillism, oils and acrylics and ultimately finding her happy place in geometric shapes, art markers, and Love Hits the Mark series. She and her mom both agree, her mom’s direction and Mechelle’s steadfast Love for Art worked beautifully together to arrive at this place.