I find that sometimes the universe conspires in your favor, and meeting Stacie Pedrick was one of those moments. I knew “of” Stacie but had not met her personally, only to later realize we both followed each other on social media. We met at the Marion Cultural Alliance annual meeting and decided to set a coffee date. She was then recommended by Deborah Horvath as someone I should consider for Heart of Home, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Stacie was born in upstate New York but moved to Florida when she was 6. Her husband Len’s family lineage traces back to the original founders of Pedrickstown, New Jersey. They now have two adult children, Brendan, who works with his father, and Torie, who is currently studying to be a chiropractor, along with their family pets, a Chiweenie and a Lhasa Apso.
Stacie moved to Ocala in 1992 while taking classes at CFCC. She fell in love with Ocala and decided to plant her roots here. She remembers when State Road 200 was just two lanes and appreciates how laid-back Ocala is, while still offering all the amenities that make a city livable. Like many residents, she also enjoys that larger Florida cities are just a short drive away.
Stacie and Len’s home is their sanctuary. There has not really been a time when Stacie has not worked from home, whether that be homeschooling their children or running her former graphic design business, where she designed, edited and published a 40,000-piece direct-mailed publication.
The death of her stepfather, along with her therapist retiring around the same time, prompted Stacie to take an online art therapy course in hopes of soothing her soul. She was spiraling into negative thoughts and felt this could help ease some of her depression.
“Through prayer and practicing this course, I realized there was nothing I would love more than to take this new information and share it with others,” she said.
From that moment, Art Approach, LLC was born. Through her work, Stacie now leads creative sessions and offers guidance rooted in therapeutic art, helping others explore creativity as a way to process emotions and grow personally.
She went on to earn additional certifications in therapeutic art, life coaching and creative coaching. Her goal is to help people see their creative side. She explained that some believe art is a skill you are born with, yet that is not entirely the case. It is more like a muscle that, with constant exercise, can grow stronger.
“The benefits are immeasurable, as I am truly a walking testimony. I don’t just teach it, I live it. I stand a better person due to engaging the creative centers of my mind.”
The heart of their home is their kitchen, built around strong values of faith and family. She and her husband’s genuine love for one another, along with a little grace and a lot of fun, inspire her in the ins and outs of day-to-day living. Stacie and Len have owned two restaurants locally, and although her path did not continue in that line of work, she has cooked five meals a week for the past 25 years, creating a space for family and friends to gather and break bread. She knows that feeding others is her “love language.”
When she created “Gathering — My Dining Room,” she faced her fear of her children growing up and the feeling of an empty nest. She credits her family for inspiring everything about her life. Like many artists’ homes, her walls are adorned with her work, yet there is a sense of comfort throughout the space. The brick exterior facade, one of her wishes for their home, adds to that warmth.
Stacie believes she was always meant to be an artist. Her first experience came at age 8, taking classes from local artist Edna Radford. Her mother would even offer painting commissions as a way to offset the cost of those lessons.
In high school, she was sidetracked from her pursuit when she realized she would not be able to fully fund an education at Ringling, so she set out to become an art teacher instead. She quickly realized that would not be her dream role, but in some way has come back around to it, now teaching others through her creative sessions in a more personal, home-based setting.
“Through creative sessions and serving in the community, I hope to work with others to encourage creativity in day-to-day life.”
In 2024, a client from the New England area shared a growing phenomenon, Free Little Art Galleries (F.L.A.G.), and she immediately became inspired to open one of her own. In June 2025, the Tiny Art Swap Shop and Miniature Art Gallery were born.
The submissions have created an incredible display of more than 60 miniature art pieces that adorned a tree at the Appleton Museum of Art called “Fostering Creativity.” She continues to build connections for future miniature art exhibits, as well as quarterly open calls for amateur, emerging and professional artists alike, while also donating time each month to a local organization, sharing her passion for art through hands-on creative projects with individuals with physical and mental challenges at Bridge to Hope.
Stacie has entered every open call for Brick City Center for the Arts and the Marion Cultural Alliance and will have another solo exhibit in Ocala in late summer or early fall of 2026. For more information, follow Art Approach Ocala on Facebook and Instagram.
