Kimberly Connolly-Preston has been doing nails for nine years, and her detailed work and craftsmanship have earned her a devout following among her clients at Exclusive Hair Designs in Kenton, Ohio, as well as first-prize in NAILS’ Mural Contest in March. NAILS got a chance to sit down with Preston and talk about some of her favorite works and how she got her start.

NAILS: How did you get started working on nails?

Conolly-Preston: I went to a Hair Design School in Kentucky that had a nail technology program, and that’s where I got my love for nail art. The school was very fashion forward at the time, and they always encouraged us to be creative. They even had airbrush courses where they would grade your art, so I really learned to love the artistic side.

NAILS: Did you do anything in particular to better your skills?

Conolly-Preston: Just lots of practice. When I first started doing nail art I used foil and did little hand-painted designs, and I just kept practicing and getting better.

NAILS: Do you compete at the shows?

Conolly-Preston: No, I don’t compete. The competitions are pretty far away, and I’m a single mom with four kids so time is a little hard to come by. But I’d like to, someday.

NAILS: How popular is your art with clients? Do they frequently ask for challenging designs?

Conolly-Preston: My clients love them. They’ll sit down and just throw out some ideas, and then I’ll start right on them. I don’t sketch anything either, I just sit and do it.

NAILS: You just get inspired?

Conolly-Preston: Yeah, usually when I’m doing their prep I’ll start to see it and then when I start, it literally just comes right out of me.

NAILS: What kind of products do you use?

Conolly-Preston: Paints and acrylics — and only OPI products. I’m excited about the OPI color gels coming out. I’m already on pre-order and I’ve been training myself on gels for the past year and a half.

NAILS: What is your favorite creation?

Conolly-Preston: Well, that’s a tough one. But there was this mural I did for a client who worked at a steel mill. She would joke that since she worked with all men, the only thing that made her feel like a woman was to get her nails done. So the mill was going to have a special conference with the President of the United States attending, and she wanted to have a special set. So I painted this mural that showed houses, and the mill, and the American flag. She loved the nails and they were a hit at the event. She’s been a client for four years now, and we still talk about that mural.

NAILS: What are your plans for the future?

Conolly-Preston: Just to keep being creative and doing fun nail art, and also working on becoming an educator for OPI.