[This article originally appeared in the June 2023 issue of the South Baltimore Peninsula Post.]
Alexa Karina Horeff has been painting for as long as she could hold a brush. The Maryland native, originally from Severna Park, explored and grew her passion with the help of her artistically inclined parents. After graduating from Severna Park High School in 2015, she converted her painting into a business: AlexaKarinaDesigns.
The business grew slowly as she worked her way through an undergraduate degree at Anne Arundel Community College. In addition to creating an Etsy page and cultivating her business online, she had success with taking custom orders from her friends and colleagues.
Now operating out of her SoBo rowhome on Light Street, Alexa paints canvases, postcards, magnets, coasters, Christmas ornaments, tote bags, and other objects – basically anything you can think of – with vibrant colors and original designs. She paints entirely by hand, not using stencils. Her inspirations come from nature, music, and even her pets.
Except for the bulk items she sells such as prints, postcards, and stickers (made from digitized versions of her original artwork), everything is one of a kind. She distributes mostly in Maryland and Pennsylvania but has had orders from as far away as California and Australia.
Alexa has also sold her products at several area events, including the Valentine’s Day Makers Market at R. House in Remington, “I Love SoBo Day” at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, and Small Business Saturdays at the Severna Park Racquetball and Fitness Club.
She premiered a new Maryland-themed design – a blue crab – at “I Love SoBo Day” that was praised by SoBohemians, she says. The crab car magnet sold out in less than a week; branded koozies have also been very popular. Alexa has recently started to paint more Baltimore- and Maryland-pride themed items. Seasonal products like Christmas tree ornaments are popular during the holidays. Some of her bestsellers on Esty are stickers and postcards, which she can order in bulk from Sticker Mule.
Alexa’s creative process starts with a canvas or object, even something as simple as a mason jar. She sets up in her studio and begins painting, using special paints if the object is glass or fabric. She’ll paint flowers, butterflies, or calligraphy on the object and set it aside to dry while she works on others. Depending on the size and material of the item, an order can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours when factoring in drying time. She purchases her supplies from local stores and retail chains such as Michaels and A.C. Moore Arts and Crafts as well as online suppliers such as Amazon, VistaPrint, and Sticker Mule.
Running a one-woman business can be a challenge while holding down a full-time job. Alexa is a preschool teacher at St. Martins-in-the-Field Episcopal School in Severna Park and the head correspondent for the school’s after-school program. She still finds time to embark on creative journeys and fulfill unique orders.
During the school year, she doesn’t field as many custom requests, but she engages full time with her business during the summer. She averages 20-30 orders a month when she has no on-site events, but doubles that output as needed to meet the demands of in-person events.
You can find all of Alexa’s products online at her Etsy store. She’s always open to custom work and commissions. – John Thomas
South Baltimore Peninsula Post 
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