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Welcome


This is a space built from early mornings, late evenings, and the deep belief that nothing is impossible — in making, in work, or in life.

By day, I'm a Strategic Program Manager; a person who bridges the gap between strategy and execution, finds what others miss, and builds the framework that turns vision into reality. That same internal eye is what drives everything you'll find here. The ability to see a concept before it exists, to hold the whole picture while working through every detail, doesn't stay at the desk. It comes alive in the work.

Give me a theme, a word, a feeling, or a vision you can't quite put into words yet, and I'll find the form it's been looking for. Foam, wood, paint, fiber, food- the medium follows the idea, not the other way around.

The work seen on this site is a small selection spanning the grand and the personal: large-scale pieces built to fill a space, seen by hundreds, Celtic animal carvings made for commissions and causes close to my heart, and quiet personal work created for the pure joy of crafting. Some pieces are built to transform a room entirely. Others live on a family member's shelf. All of them started the same way, with a concept, a commitment to craft, and the conviction that the vision is always worth chasing.

The same mind that finds the gaps and builds the plan is the one holding the carving tool. This site is what that looks like.
About the Maker: Kendra Rivera

I spend my days as a senior strategy program manager—turning ambiguous goals into clear roadmaps, aligning teams, and delivering complex initiatives. But I've always been someone who needs to create with my hands.

In the margins of a full life, I'm a maker still honing my craft across foam, wood, acrylics, and mixed media. I take on custom commissions through word of mouth: someone shares a theme, a color palette, or just a feeling they're chasing, and I design something that brings it to life. My process borrows from both worlds—I use the same skills that help me navigate stakeholder ambiguity at work to translate conceptual briefs into tangible pieces. AI tools and freehand sketching help me visualize, then I trace, carve, paint, and blend until the work feels right.

I'm entirely self-taught, which means I'm always learning and experimenting. Whether I'm layering colors on canvas, sculpting foam into something unexpected, or crocheting between meetings, every project teaches me something new. I'm selective about what I take on because family comes first, and making is part of who I am—not all of it. But when I commit to a piece, I bring the same discipline and vision I use to deliver programs: I listen carefully, iterate thoughtfully, and don't stop until the dream becomes real.

If you have an idea you'd like to see in the world, and our timelines align, I'd love to explore it with you.



Celtic Animal Carvings:  Where ancient artistry meets the animals we love

These pieces bring together the intricate beauty of Celtic design and the creatures that inspire it — each one carved from insulation foam and finished with acrylic, full of knotwork, character, and heart.

This work is personal in more ways than one. Between the demands of a full-time career in program management and an equally full family life, these carvings are where creativity gets to breathe — a little meditative, a little joyful, and entirely worth it. The work here encompasses personal commissions and charity events that support local animal rescues. 


Celtic Moon and Orange Tabby Progress picture 2026
Celtic Moon and Cat 2026; Insulation Foam and Acrylic.
 Request was for a Silver Blue Moon and Orange Tabby
Celtic Cat Carving 2025 for Friends For Life Black Cat Bingo
Celtic Moon and Cat 2025 for Friends for Life Black Cat Bingo: Insulation Foam and Acrylic. 
Christmas Commissions, 2025. Custom Colors. Insulation Foam and Acrylic.
Celtic Rabbit for Leaps and Squeaks Rescue, 2025. Insulation Foam and Acrylic.
Large Scale Carvings

Some visions need more space. These are the pieces born from big ideas: commissions and collaborations that called for something truly larger than life. From Masonic celebrations to Hogmany Celebrations with the St. Andrews Society of Mid Maryland, to brewery logo conceptual design, each one started with an ambitious concept and became something that could hold its own in a grand space. Evening events have even called for a little glitter, and it always delivers.

All of it carved from insulation foam, finished with acrylic, and built in the early mornings and late evenings of a very full life. If you have a vision that needs room to breathe, you're in the right place.


Commission 2024. Brewery Concept Logo. 5ft x 5ft layered image. Insulation Foam and Acrylic.
Brewery Concept  Logo in progress shot: pre-painting and finishing.
Hogmany 2023 (Scottish New Year’s Eve/New Year’s). Joint event with the St. Andrew’s Society of Mid-Maryland. Celtic Tree of Life and Knotwork. Tree is 4ft x 5.5ft; knotwork are approx. 1x1 ft. Insulation Foam and Acrylic.
Celtic Tree final image prior to installation.
Celtic Tree in progress painting image.
Celtic Tree design in progress image before painting.
Burns Night 2025: A Red, Red, Rose. Celtic Rose Knotwork, Insulation Foam & Acrylic. This piece was auctioned for charity at the event.
Celtic Rose knotwork image pre-installation.
Celtic Rose Knotwork individual image.
Masonic Ladies event at the Scottish Rite Temple in Baltimore. Theme: Hollywood Murder Mystery. Note: The film reels were designed by me; all other pieces were created and designed by another party. 4ft x 4ft. Mixed Media
Masonic Ladies Event, Scottish Rite Temple, 2023. Film Reel is self-standing. 4ft x 4ft. Insulation Foam, mixed paints, and concrete formers.
Film Reel in progress.




Washington, DC | Theme: Bridgerton

When the request came in for the 2025 Scottish Rite Biennial Ladies Luncheon, I had six weeks and a challenge: create two grand archways inspired by Bridgerton—a show I'd never seen. What I did have was a theme, a vision for elegance, and the skills to figure it out as I went.

The result: two mixed media archways standing 11.5 feet tall, 8 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. The main structures and 20 decorative appliques were hand-carved from foam, then finished to bring the Regency-era aesthetic to life. From concept to installation, this project was about translating grandeur into something that could transform a modern ballroom into another world.

I built these in my garage between managing programs during the day and being present for my family at night. This is what I do—take an idea, a deadline, and a lot of ambition, and make it real.

Note: My responsibility was the archway; additional decor, such as table scape, floral, and curtains, was the work of a wonderful woman who brings me in to assist with these events, and a partner in crime within our own Masonic organization.

Brigerton-Themed Luncheon Event 2025. Internationally attended the Scottish Rite Biennial Conference. Final Image entering the ballroom. Archways were used beyond the intended luncheon for the completion of the multi-day convention.
Image of the pieces in regular ballroom lighting.
Each archway was assembled on-site. Unique, individualized, and ready for photo opportunities by attendees.
The side panels had as much detail as the front. Depending on which arch- the panels could have 2-3 appliques attached. Stencils were used to mimic a wallpaper inset. 
In-progress creation image  showing the many panels, appliques, and piping used in the structures.
Each applicque had to dry separately from the other. This build was done in July/August of 2025, where the heat and humidity had an extreme effect on paint drying, so creativity was key.
Workshop view
Close-up of carvings.
All carvings were done before any painting.

Scottish Rite Events

Over the past several years, I've had the privilege of creating custom pieces for the Scottish Rite of Maryland and the Supreme Council 33° of the Southern Jurisdiction. As a founding member of the Knights of St. Andrew Ladies Auxiliary, much of my work supports events and celebrations within this community and other Masonic organizations.

The pieces you'll see here represent a range of mixed-media work created for events across the Washington DC/Baltimore metro area. Each one started with a theme or concept for an event and evolved into a creation that helped bring those gatherings to life.

This is just a sample of what's possible when you combine intention with craftsmanship.





Maryland Scottish Rite Chocolate Soiree Sign, 2024. Used Annually. 2.5ft x 3.5ft. Acrylic, Insulation Foam, Artificial Snow.
Chocolate Soiree Sign pre-installation.
Chocolate Soiree Sign,  in-progress image. 
Knights of St. Andrew, Ladies Auxiliary Annual Tea, 2021. Fair Door Wreaths progress shot. Styrofoam, acrylic, willow wreaths.
Knights of St. Andrew, Ladies Auxiliary Annual Tea, 2024 - Orient Express. Train Station Clock. Mixed Foam and Acrylic.
Knights of St. Andrew, Ladies Auxiliary Annual Tea 2025- English Garden. Approximate 6ft x 10ft. Insulation Foam and acrylic. 
Ladies Tea 2025 Original Image before being cut to fit the space.
Ladies Tea 2025: additional flowers.
Ladies Tea 2025: Picket Fence table wrap for silent auction. Final image before installation.
Ladies Tea 2025: In-progress shot.
Ladies Tea 2025: Pre-painting image.
Knights of St. Andrew, Ladies Auxiliary, Ladies Tea 2021: Enchanted Garden. Styrofoam and Acrylic.
Ladies Tea 2021, pre- workshop.
Knights of St. Andrew, Ladies Auxiliary Ladies Tea 2026: Around the World in 80 Days. Map in the style of 1872 with journey marked. 6ft x 8ft. Tye Dye Paint, Canvas. 
Ladies Tea 2026: In-progress image. Designed using AI and free image searches, projected onto a canvas.
Ladies Tea 2026: In progress painting.
Ladies Tea 2026: In progress drawing. Layering Images.
Ladies Tea 2026: In Progress Drawing. Layering Images.
Just Because

No briefs, no deadlines, no client vision to honor — just creativity let loose. This gallery is the personal side of the studio: foam carvings, woodwork gifted to family, crochet, painting, food, and whatever else demanded to be made that day. Some of it lives in my home, some has been passed along to the people I love, and all of it exists simply because it wanted to.

This is where play happens. Where new skills get tested, happy accidents get kept, and art gets created for the pure satisfaction of making it. If the other galleries show what's possible on a deadline, this one shows what's possible when there isn't one.



Celestial pegboard for my niece. Christmas 2025. Wood, Mixed media.
Celestial Shelving for my niece. Christmas 2025. Wood, Mixed media.
Final image of the surround before adding the pegboard. 2025.
In-progress design 2025. Custom blended water-based stain. Stains were created using powders mixed into stain bases, then blended to create various shades. 
In progress design 2025.  Custom blended water-based stain. 
Finished wood shelves for my nephew. Christmas 2025. Wood,  Mixed media.
In-progress turtles. Water-based stain.
In progress turtles. Drawn, cut, carved, then burned.
Shelving frames- oil based stain.
Acrylic Pour.
Random painting. Acrylic on Canvas.
Celtc knot- Family Christmas gift 2024.
Queen-sized crocheted blanket for my mother. Christmas 2025. One of many crocheted blankets of mine.
Yule log 2025. Chocolate, hazelnut, sugared fruit, meriangue. On request of my daughter.
Pumpkin and ginger tart with a gingerbread/shortbread hybrid crust. Burnt marshmallow mirangue topping. Fall 2025. I don’t follow recipes; this will probably never come out the same way again. 
Managing the Abstract. 2026. All Rights Reserved.