Dayton, Wyo.-based nail tech Amy Masters wanted to prove that the same art techs offer on nails — often for little or no money — could sell for much more if it was reproduced on a larger canvas. So she posed a challenge in the form of the #1nail1canvas fundraiser to members of the Tech Talk Worldwide Facebook group, where she’s an administrator. “I wanted to prove to them that the type of art they do is much more valuable than they think it is,” she explains. The techs were tasked with designing a nail tip using any medium and reproducing the same design on a canvas. Participants were then given three months to sell their canvas. Any profits would be divided half to the tech and the other half to a charity selected by the tech whose artwork sold for the highest amount.

The winner was Barbara Abeyta of Colorado Springs, Colo., whose design fetched $218. “She was blown away that her flower canvas sold for so much,” says Masters. “Barbara chose to donate the group’s proceeds to the young son of a nail tech who had lost his father in a tragic accident. We were able to donate over $988.”

Masters plans to grow the competition in 2019. “It was an eye-opener to a few techs, including myself, that our art can be displayed and cherished for years.” Keep an eye out on Tech Talk Worldwide for an announcement of the next #1nail1canvas challenge.