Dawn Minton’s high school art teacher was moved by her most recent art display — and so were her nail clients. The nail tech at A New Beginning Salon & Spa in Rensselaer, Ind., had a collection of her art, including a vast array of her nail art designs, showcased in a display case at the Rensselaer Branch of the Jasper County Public Library.

Featured were nail art replicas of Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Head of a Young Woman with Tousled Hair” (which won NAILS’ Mini Masterpiece Contest in 2007) and Grant Wood’s “American Gothic,” plus nail art renditions of Napoleon Bonaparte on a horse, Rusty Wallace’s NASCAR vehicle (which she borrowed back from a salon client-NASCAR fan), and Halloween and Christmas designs. Also a nod to her nail tech skills, the display showcased a pair of flip flops adorned with acrylic paint and sealed with top coat, three necklaces made out of UV gel, a copy of NAILS Magazine, and detail brushes to give viewers an idea of how Minton created art on so small of a scale.

The art was on display during the month of November. “I’m just tickled that people were able to see and appreciate my designs,” Minton says.