Meet Mallory Marks and Chandler Corbeille | Artist & Freelance Production Coordinator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mallory Marks and Chandler Corbeille and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mallory and Chandler, why did you pursue a creative career?
With a background in theatrical and television production, we both have a knack for the arts and the creative processes involved. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we had a lot of extra time on our hands which allowed us to explore creative mediums outside of production work. The pandemic brought on a lot of added stress to everyday life that intruded on our mental health. Painting became a healthy outlet that allowed us to escape from the madness and fully immerse ourselves in an alternate reality. Our tagline quickly became, “Sit back. Relax. Escape Reality.” We hope that when people view or purchase a piece from Melted Moon, they experience a similar whimsical escape, even if just for a moment!
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Mental health is something that we believe is really important. We both struggle with anxiety and depression and painting is one way that helps us to slow down and decompress. One of our favorite things to do is create paintings that represent fictional planets. We sometimes feel like life would be easier if we could just hop into another planet. We love doing large scale pieces but there is something about the little planets that are whimsical and makes us happy. We have gotten to where we are today by trying to stay as consistent as possible. We work hard and make the most out of the time that we have during this pandemic. Starting a small business is never easy but painting is something that helps us escape from the massive amounts of stress our professional jobs ensue. We have learned that it is okay to make mistakes but that its also okay to take a risk. For example, I reached out to 12+ coffee shops in Fort Worth asking if we could sell out art in their shops. We had no expectation for anyone to respond, however two shops responded right away. We currently have art in Roots Coffeehouse in Fort Worth and have art going into Arcadia Coffee later this month. It was a risk that payed off and we now know that we can push ourselves out of our comfort zone. Quoting the words of Lady Gaga, “You can have 100 people in a room and 99 of them won’t believe in you and it only takes one…” We want people to know that not everything in life has to be taken so seriously. It’s okay to stop and do things you love just because they make you happy. Don’t ever feel guilty for putting yourself first every once in awhile.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take them to all of the museums! We love learning about science and history and enjoy seeing new art and sculptures, anything that sparks a creative flame! I would take them to the Dallas Museum of Art, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and the Nasher Sculpture Center for starters. Chandler and I are also avid plant moms (over 60 in our place!) so we would obviously need to visit the Dallas Arboretum as well as Ruibal’s plant shop downtown. We haven’t lived in Dallas in non-covid times so we would have to head back to Fort Worth to hit some of our favorite food spots. We would definitely go to Joe T Garcias for margaritas and fajitas, and then Curly’s frozen custard for dessert. We would also have to hit up Wabi House which is a delicious ramen restaurant. The best Mediterranean food that we have had in Texas comes form Nish! Mediterranean Grill, it’s seriously a spot to check out whenever you’re in Fort Worth! We also enjoy supporting our musician friends in the DFW metroplex, and try to catch their shows whenever we can! Two of our favorite local artist to catch live are Cure For Paranoia and Averi Burk. Look them up, you won’t regret it!!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Courtney Corbeille Krauss, Chandler’s older sister. She has been extremely encouraging, accommodating, and helpful since day 1 of Melted Moon Studios. Courtney lets us use her garage to work in and her brain to help us curate ideas. She is awesome.

Instagram: @meltedmoonstudios // @mallorymarks // @chan_corb

Image Credits
Aiyana Mckenzie // instagram: @fromaiyana