It was a beautiful Southern California day when I discovered my penchant
for painting designs on nails.  As a curious eight-year-old, I was
examining the colorful qualities of a ladybug, scurrying over my fingers,
when the idea hit.  I ran into the house and said, “Mom!  Will you take me
to the store and buy me some red and black nail polish?”  She paused
with the refrigerator door open, turned to me and asked, “Whatever for.”  
“So I can paint ladybugs on my fingernails!”  Not only did I get the nail
polish, but that was the last time my mother ever questioned my request
for odd colors.  Her unvarying support throughout my childhood and to
this day, has been instrumental in allowing my creativity to blossom.

Although ladybugs were fascinating, my attention was also caught by the
paint design on our horse trailer.  The “faded” spectrum of colors was
popular at the time and how they appeared to flow seamlessly into each
other amazed me.  How did they do that?  I would stand and look at it for
hours, then practice with brush and nail polish on paper until I could
produce the same effect.

It took more than a ladybug and a horse trailer, though, to truly set me on
a path of unique nail design.  Already widely respected for his auto trim
painting talent, I was 13 when my father began a custom car painting
business.  He is an “awesomely-talented pinstriper” and known for his
realistic, “burning” flames.  I wanted to paint like that too and now I could
watch him often, so I paid close attention to his work, absorbing his
techniques until I could reproduce them on nails.

Throughout the fourteen years I’ve been designing acrylic nails in
Phoenix, Arizona, I have continued to experiment with polishes,
techniques, and even car paint, to produce dazzling designs.  During that
time I have also experimented with airbrushing nails, but it just does not
give the depth and genuine look of real nails.  It isn’t enough for me to
just offer women the benefit of my inherent and learned nail painting
talents, however.  My passion lies in the fun of painting nails – it’s never
work – and making acrylic nails look real.  Using my unique techniques
and dramatic nail polishes – and yes, even car paint! – often elicits what I
consider the best compliment of all when my client is asked, “Are those
your real nails?”  Through Flaming Nails by Jeppy I hope to make
available to those who do not generally wear artificial nails, truly beautiful
handwork for those once-in-a-lifetime occasions.  And it all started with a
little ladybug.