written By Wendy Hobday Haugh
Photos by TRICIA BALL & WENDY HOBDAY HAUGH
[From the 2025 Holiday Magazine]
Every piece of furniture, birdhouse, clock, mirror, picture frame, or candle crafted by artisan Tricia Ball of Tricia’s OOAK Art is marked by an intricate blend of diverse natural materials. Everything from twigs, bark, pinecones and nuts to roots, mosses, antlers and flowers have found their way into Tricia’s distinctive line of artisan-made décor.
“I gather all the materials myself,” says the West Fulton creative. “The only thing I order, besides the glues and varnishes, is the moss—because I don’t want to deal with bugs,” she adds, grinning. “I never plan a piece in advance. As I begin putting different materials together, the piece just flows out of me naturally. It’s always exciting to see what takes shape.”
Tricia ensures the longevity and functionality of her work by being meticulous in every last detail. “When people see the beauty and complexity of my birdhouses, they’re often amazed to learn that they can safely be hung outdoors. But more often than not, they choose to display them inside instead.”
Upon meeting Tricia Ball at the Northville Rotary Woodworking and Fine Art Show last summer, I was instantly impressed by the intricacy of her work. Yet even more striking was the palpable joy I felt radiating from this gifted artist. Tricia positively glows when talking about her work and the meaning it has brought to her life. She glows even more brightly when talking about her eight-year-old son, Gavin! She credits her son’s arrival into the world as her inspiration to pursue her artistic dreams in earnest.
“I homeschool my son, so I fit my work in around Gavin’s schedule and needs. I love being a mother and an artist, and I enjoy the flexibility this brings to my life.”
Tricia is always experimenting with new techniques and ventures. “About every year or so, I seem to explore a whole new and different thing,” she muses. “Over the past 18 months, I’ve really gotten into jewelry-making, incorporating dried flowers into earrings and necklaces. The flowers are dried and pressed, so their colors will remain vibrant forever. My daisy pieces, in particular, have been quite popular lately. Sterling chains are expensive, so I use stainless steel chains that won’t tarnish; and all my earrings are stainless steel and hypoallergenic. I try to keep things affordable for my customers.”
Possessing a deep reverence and respect for the natural world, Tricia intentionally creates pieces that will inspire kindred feelings in others. “It is my mission to serve you,” she writes on her website, “by creating one-of-a-kind pieces of rustic décor that inspire your own creativity, healing, and/or love of nature.”
Tricia’s love of the woods started in childhood. “I always felt drawn to the woods. Growing up on a dead-end dirt road, all I had was the wilderness: the woods behind my house and the pond at the end of the road that my great-great- great uncle built by hand. We were poor growing up. We couldn’t just hop in the car and go on vacation. We couldn’t do things, so the wilderness was my playground.”
Her childhood years, however, were anything but easy. Tricia was diagnosed with PTSD at the age of seven, and experienced multiple forms of abuse well into her early twenties. Thankfully, today she has “found her voice” and done a tremendous amount of healing. “As a survivor of domestic violence, a recovered alcoholic, and a warrior in overcoming PTSD,” she writes, “I encourage folks from every walk of life to rise above toxic people, places, and things using creativity as a tool.”
The creative process came to Tricia’s rescue in 2013 when, after enduring years of personal trauma and addiction, she found herself in desperate need of a safe place to express herself, create, and redirect her life. She only crafted a few pieces over the ensuing four years, but with the birth of her son in 2017, Tricia had a life-altering epiphany. “I suddenly realized, ‘Okay, here’s an opportunity to dig in and really explore my creativity.’ I felt like God was nudging me to pursue this gift. From then on, I began creating so many pieces of my distinctive handcrafted décor that, within that very first year, I was accepted into the Rustic Furniture Fair at Blue Mountain Lake.”
Over the course of many years, with persistence, hard work, and a potent blend of art, therapy, God, and nature, Tricia learned to rewire her brain and create new synapses. “My mindset shifted daily,” she recalls, “challenging all of the negativity I had experienced and acquired in my childhood. And I asked for God’s help every step of the way.”
Today, Tricia remains deeply committed to helping other at-risk youths in need of stability, love, and encouragement. When asked what she might say to others struggling as she did, Tricia doesn’t hesitate. “Above all, have grace and patience with yourself as you begin to forge new ways of thinking, acting, and interacting. With hard work and help from outside resources, you can overcome addictions, heal traumas, break generational curses, and become successful at doing what you love. Don’t be afraid to take that first step! And above all remember: you are not your past.”
To see more of Tricia’s art, visit www.triciasooakart.com.
Contact Tricia at