ABOUT US

Parks Art Collection was created by artist Elaina Busold.

What started out as a hobby to destress after long hours working as a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic soon turned into a busy Etsy shop.

On a whim, Elaina decided to make some fun little illustrations of national parks on wood slices to sell for Christmas. Customers started loving them immediately. By November 2020, Parks Art Collection was selling hundreds of ornaments both online and in person.

Since she is a Colorado resident, Elaina expanded by creating local Colorado-themed ornaments as well. As the business continued to grow, even more creations became available including national park coasters on wood slices, wood-slice magnets, photo coasters, and laser-engraved maps, signs, and gifts.

Parks Art Collection is committed to creating eco-friendly products and has started using more sustainable materials including locally sourced wood slices and recycled house paint. A portion of annual earnings are also donated to the National Park Foundation.

Designed so that you can bring the beauty and vibrancy of nature into your home, all pieces from Parks Art Collection help you and your loved ones hold on to the special memories you have made and continue to make during your adventures.

MEET ELAINA

Growing up, I always had two passions: science and art.

I pursued a career in nursing right out of high school. Much of the time you can find me running dialysis treatments in hospitals across the Denver metro area. I have been a nurse since 2010 and feel very honored to be involved in critical care.

In 2016, I lost my dad to cancer and began to feel a bit lost for purpose.

In hopes of bringing a spark of joy back into my everyday life, I booked a trip with my husband and a couple of friends to go to Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. Seeing the biggest trees in the world sparked a feeling of wonder, excitement, and gratitude.

I wanted to see more. I wanted to see everything.

It was during that trip that I decided to make it a life goal to see all the national parks. I started recruiting friends and family to go on park trips with me. This journey immediately inspired others, and I realized there were a lot of other people with the same dream: to reconnect with the world around us and appreciate the natural wonders in our country.

I am happiest when I am outside, feeling free, and wild.

As a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself unable to travel. I needed a sense of purpose and passion more than ever. That’s when I was inspired to return to my old love of art.

I started painting and editing the many photos from my travels. I, of course, used my favorite topic as inspiration for my paintings: our national parks. I painted almost every day in the beginning of the pandemic and dreamed and imagined of places I had been and places I wanted to go. I then had such a collection going, that I decided to start an online shop with my creations. And so, the Parks Art Collection was born.

​​ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARKS

Indigenous Americans preserved and protected the lands of our national parks for centuries, but settlers started to find these amazing locations across the country and focused on dollar signs.

Settlers began harvesting resources to make money off of white sand gypsum, bat guano, redwood lumber, and bison. As resources were very quickly depleted, it became clear that, in order to protect the land, a change had to be made. The combined efforts of lobbyists like John Muir and lawmakers and leaders like Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson led to specific plans to protect and preserve the lands.

And that’s how the national parks were born.

From there, the park system grew to what it is today, where everyone can enjoy and visit these public lands, and appreciate the beauty. Unlike older countries found across Europe and Asia, the lands of the United States were untouched for many years, and through activists’ pleas to protect and preserve as much of the land as possible, we are now able to enjoy the absolute natural beauty and wonder around us.

To learn more about the history of the national parks, visit the National Park Service website at nps.gov.