Caleb Yaeger, a fourth grader at Narragansett Elementary School, decided to use his extra time during the coronavirus quarantine to start his own business as a way of giving back to his community. He creates artwork and sells it online through his Facebook page and at local events around Gorham, donating most of his earnings to charity.
Yaeger has been interested in art since he was five. He mostly paints with acrylics and sells pieces depicting nature scenes, including trees, beaches, and lighthouses. He has recently started making modern abstract paintings, which he enjoys.
“The one that I make the most that a lot of people like is birch trees,” said Yaeger, “and I really like making those because I know people like them a lot,” he explained.
Each piece Yaeger makes takes between one to three hours, depending on its size and number of layers. Each layer needs time to dry, so the more there are, the longer it takes.
Photo credit Michelle YaegerCaleb Yaeger, a student at Narragansett Elementary School and owner of Caleb’s Creations, is pictured with one of his popular birch tree paintings.
When Yaeger first began a few months ago, he sold mostly to friends and family, as well as neighbors that would come to sales at his house. Since then, his business has grown and he now gets orders through his Facebook page, Caleb’s Creations, from people he has never met.
Yaeger has also sold his work at several craft fairs in town and hands out his business card whenever somebody buys a piece. He has donated some to auction as well. His mother, Michelle Yaeger, thought donating to an auction was a good idea to help spread the word.
Yaegar has donated almost all of the money he has raised to local charities. So far, he has donated $750 to the Gorham Food Pantry and plans to donate to the Animal Refuge League next.
“The food pantry was a good idea during COVID,” he said. “A lot of people needed food, like the ones who usually eat at school, and they weren’t getting as many drop-offs.”
With the soccer season approaching, Yaeger has decided to take a little break. He plans on making more snowy tree pieces this winter and wants to create smaller ones for around $20 that people can buy as gifts. He thinks they can be used in Yankee Swaps (or, as his family likes to call them, Red Sox Swaps).
Yaeger can be reached through his Facebook page where he is pictured with samples of his artwork. He takes custom orders and updates are posted regularly with information on his upcoming events.