West High has always been a place for students to pursue their unique interests and hone their skills. Jay Mascardo ‘23, a West High artist with a small business, is one of these students.

“[Making art is] something I really enjoy, and because of that… [it’s] an easy way to make money and make the most of my abilities,” Mascardo said.

Mascardo created their business this summer painting shoes and jackets for several clients. But the roots of this undertaking reach far back.

“When I was younger, my mom enrolled me in a bunch of art classes with my sibling, Caroline,” Mascardo said. “I started from a young age, and it’s something I’m really passionate about, something I use as an outlet… something I use to cope.”

Mascardo would later use this outlet as a way to manage the stress of online school, as well as their ADHD. In fact, it was during online school that Mascardo made their first art account on Instagram.

“I had originally had an art account when I first got Instagram just because I produced a lot of art and I felt it would be cool to show it and then possibly sell it later on, but it was mainly just for display and showing people what I make,” Mascardo said.

It wasn’t until the summer going into this school year that Mascardo decided to turn their favorite hobby into a small business.

“Then during the summer I was like, ‘Hey, why don’t I make a business out of this?’” Mascardo said. “I’ve gotten many offers to design T-shirts for organizations, and a lot of my friends have been like, ‘Hey, do you think you could paint this on a pair of shoes or a jean jacket?’”

Thus began Mascardo’s small art business, Customs By Jay. Their business’s social media account, @cust0msbyjay, has accumulated upwards of 230 followers. On this account, Mascardo posts artwork up for grabs, along with information about pricing, order placement, and general policies. Mascardo also posts about events they have participated in, such as their farmers market stand in Sept.

“I had never thought that I was going to get a stand [at the farmers market], but the fact that I was given the opportunity to share a stand with [my mom’s friend] and sell my stuff side by side with her was a really great experience” Said Mascardo.

The farmers market turned out to be tremendously formative for Mascardo and their business. Mascardo’s stand partner, a friend of their mom, is a professor of graphic design at the University of Iowa.

“[My mom’s friend] over the summer was like, ‘Hey, I heard you have a small business…I can teach you some silk screening, [how to make] stuff to sell,” Mascardo said.

The farmers market didn’t just give Mascardo better art materials and skills, it also better prepared them for something they’ve struggled with, pricing.

“But it was just a very good experience because I got to figure out how to price my artwork,” Mascardo said. “I always have a problem with being like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to charge too much because I don’t think it’s like that good, but also like, I worked on that. I spent time and money on materials, all that stuff.”

Mascardo gets many requests from West students to make pencil drawings of their favorite celebrities. Mascardo holds themself to perfection when it comes to these commissioned art pieces.

“I definitely do a lot of basic pencil drawings. I know a lot of people request to have me draw them, draw their favorite celebrities…They’re very fun for me because I love drawing anatomy” Mascardo said. “I’m a perfectionist, so I have to get the details just right… because if you mess it up, they’ll obviously tell that’s not the same person.”

One of Mascardo’s favorite mediums to paint on is clothing, such as jean jackets, shoes, T-shirts, and more. But fabric paint can be fairly expensive, and would be unsustainable for the number of clothing orders they get. Luckily, Mascardo has a solution.

“I don’t want to pay more money for not only acrylic paint, but also fabric paint, so I found a way to kind of create my own fabric paint, which is just taking textile medium and mixing it with acrylic, so I’m saving money that way,” Mascardo explained.

It’s innovative solutions like these that add up to make a thriving small business. Ultimately, Mascardo hopes for their small business to grow into a career.

“The idea of making this into a business and actually starting a small business makes it seem even more reasonable that I could make this a career,” Mascardo said. “It’s something I enjoy, so to do something I enjoy as a job and make money off of it, sounds just like a dream.”