About Us

Mike, Becky, their daughter Mina, their dog Ripley and three kitties, Jean, Henry, and Rocket Raccoon are currently based on 7 acres in rural Oklahoma, roughly 30 miles south of Tulsa, having relocated from the Denver, CO area in 2020.
Becky (half Aussie thanks to her mum!), originally from the borderland of Las Cruces, NM, has worked as a graphic designer and photographer for more than 20 years. And Mike, originally from Philadelphia, has filled many roles in his life as a maker and jack of all trades, and his past experience includes: grave digging, landscaping, traffic control and security, car repair and maintenance, locksmithing, handymanning, construction, electrical and plumbing, practical nursing, physical therapy, and web dev among others! Shortly after relocating to Oklahoma, they decided to pursue their creative passions outside of the confines of a 9-5 job. Beck creates most of the original artwork and Mike works on the historical restorations and custom framing.
Beck also proudly serves on the board of the OKCO Humane Society and donates her time as their creative director.
Strong and Hardy were the maiden names of Becky’s paternal great-grandmothers: Bessie Strong (an early American west pioneer and homesteader in the late 19th century) and Mabel Hardy, two very strong and hardy women who are more than well-deserving of such an homage. It’s the hope that these ancestors can be channeled as Mike and Becky pursue their dreams and hope to make their daughter proud in the process.

We believe the past still has something to say.

Much of the work of Strong and Hardy begins with something that already existed long before us: an illustration, engraving, photograph, painting, scientific study, or other fragment of visual history. We are drawn to the remarkable things people have made in their attempts to understand the world and themselves.
Our interests are broad but often intersect in unexpected ways: anatomical and natural history, botanical and entomological studies, celestial charts, religious and spiritual imagery, vintage photography, forgotten works of fine art, and the many strange, beautiful, and sometimes unsettling ways humanity has documented its existence.
Some of these historical works are deserving of preservation in their own right. Through meticulous digital restoration, we carefully clean, repair, and revive images that have been damaged, neglected, or simply forgotten, taking care to preserve the character and integrity of the original work.
Others become the raw material for something entirely new. Becky creates original digital collages by manually combining imagery from historical sources, bringing disparate fragments together to create contemporary works that could never have existed in their original time. The resulting pieces are not reproductions, but new works with histories embedded within them.
Strong and Hardy is a collaborative endeavor. Becky and Mike bring distinct but complementary talents to the work, with Becky focused primarily on original collage and creative development and Mike on the meticulous restoration of historical artwork. Together, they share a commitment to preserving the past while creating meaningful new work from it.
We are fascinated by the space between preservation and reinvention—the moment when something from the past is given another life without losing the story of where it came from.
At its heart, Strong and Hardy is about that relationship between past and present. We believe historical imagery should not remain confined to archives or forgotten on the pages of old books. It can still provoke curiosity, inspire new ideas, reveal uncomfortable truths, and simply be beautiful.
Every piece has a past. Our work is an attempt to listen to it, preserve it, and sometimes give it somewhere new to go.

Print with gold foil being applied — The Materials We Use

The materials we use are important to us. Strong & Hardy® art collages and restorations are printed on Red River 60lb. Polar Matte paper and our b&w photo collages are printed on Polar Luster Metallic 255 Photo Paper here in our home studio on either our Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Wireless Wide-Format printer or our Canon TS9521C All-In-One Wireless Crafting Photo Printer. Our greeting cards are outsourced and are printed on a variety of premium matte, linen and glossy papers, some embellished with gold foil and embossed gloss and our Affirmation cards are printed on incredible velvet soft touch paper.
Our engraved boxes are upcycled from used cigar boxes and along with our historical reproduction engravings are created using a Glowforge Pro 3D Laser Printer using a variety of wood like: poplar, birch, maple, cherry, oak, bamboo, and pine which we source locally whenever possible. We have also engraved on bone.
At least 75% of the frames we find to display and sell our work at expos and events are pre-owned, vintage and antique frames we find online or at local thrift stores, antique stores or estate sales.
Full disclosure: we are an affiliate partner with Red River and earn a small commission should anyone purchase any products using our affiliate link. We highly recommend their products!

“Mike and I are truth-tellers, beauty-seekers, life-creators, freedom-lovers, dream-pursuers and risk takers, death and the cycle-of-life-embracers, and vulnerable, meaty, living organisms who only want the rest of the human race to indulge in these qualities with us so we feel less alone in this strange thing we’ve been granted called life.”

—Becky

Our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported us.

We could not do this without your support. Your love for our work allows us to continue creating and sharing our passion with the world.

Thank you so much for being a crucial part of our artistic journey. We hope our art brings as much joy to your life as creating it has brought to ours.

A wall with black and white floral patterned wallpaper and a framed floral portrait hanging on it.

A framed vintage-style botanical illustration of various birds perched on a nest with leaves, flowers, and butterflies, displayed on a wooden surface next to a glass vase with pampas grass.

Woman with dark curly hair and gothic makeup, wearing a leather corset with fur shoulder accents, holding a framed artwork of a flower with leaves and a bird, at an art booth in an indoor event.

A framed artwork depicting a surreal scene of a man and woman with cloud and fire heads, holding objects, in a desolate landscape with additional figures in the background. The frame is ornate gold. Text overlays indicate the artist's Instagram handl

Decorative wooden surface with a framed portrait of a woman smoking, a Himalayan salt lamp, a potted plant, a glass case with a butterfly specimen, a candle holder with a white candle, and a vintage menagerie card box.

A woman with glasses and tattoos smiling while holding a decorative oval frame with a goat skull and a person with a matching skull face paint photo inside it at an indoor event.

Tattoo of a human brain wrapped with a lilac plant on a woman's shoulder.

Tattoo of a human brain wrapped with a lilac plant on a woman's shoulder.

A smiling woman and a young girl at a booth, with the woman holding a decorative framed artwork. The girl wears fox ears on her head, and both are wearing badges. The background shows artwork and two women looking at pictures on a display in an indoo

Two art prints on a wooden floor, one featuring a stylized deer with an orange circle behind it, and the other showing a mountainous landscape with an orange circle and a hot air balloon.

A woman with glasses and a black lace top smiling while holding a framed portrait of a historical figure, standing next to a man with glasses and a black cap, also smiling.

A drawing of a woman in vintage clothing riding a horse with a mechanical body, set against a beige background with an orange circle.

A man smiling and holding a framed portrait of a woman with tattoos, wearing a crown, and draped in a white garment, in an indoor event space with people in the background.

A mirror with an ornate gold frame on a textured brown wall, reflecting a figure with a bird skull mask, wearing a black dress, and having antlers on their head, with tall gold-colored flowers on either side.

A woman with glasses on her head holding a framed artwork of a skeleton with a helmet and sword at an indoor event or market, with other people in the background.

A smartphone with a decorative gold ornate frame case, displaying a classical painting of a woman in a state of distress with the text "I've got the MORBS" overlaid on the image.

A black ornate table lamp with fringes and a spider decoration on top, placed next to a framed picture of a woman in a black dress, and a small invitation sign in front, set against a black and white damask wallpaper background.

A man with long gray hair, glasses, and a beard smiling while holding a framed artwork of a woman with an animal skull on her head and antlers, at an art event or gallery.

Person holding a framed artwork of a woman with flowers and a snake, obscuring their face among large green tropical leaves.

A woman with dark hair, pierced lips, and a tattoo on her right arm, holding a framed anatomical drawing of the human muscular system, standing in an art gallery with various framed artworks on the wall behind her.

Three wall art pieces with colorful brain illustrations in black and white frames hanging on a beige wall.

A framed artwork of a woman in red and black, with a small yellow and black bird perched on her shoulder, leaning against a white wall beside a tall potted rubber plant.

A person with a deer skull and antlers as a head, wearing a black strapless dress, standing in front of an ornate black mirror with a gold background.

A framed painting of a man with a plant growing out of his head, surrounded by various green potted plants on a white shelf against a teal wall.

Decorative framed illustration with an eye, brain, and various animals including a hummingbird, fish, butterfly, and insect, with a branch and leaves on a blue background, placed on a brick surface with a plant and a white pot nearby. A white deer he

Framed vintage illustration of a horse and sulky with a driver on a white wall, with white flower branches in a white vase beside it.

Decorative wall display featuring a mounted deer skull with antlers, a framed print of a black cat, and a framed artwork of a plant with insects and a full moon, along with dried plant arrangements on a white wall.

Sticker of a cow wearing a bowler hat with the text 'Strong and Happy' and a URL for a storefront in Tulsa, Oklahoma, surrounded by other stickers and green leaf illustrations.

A man and woman smiling at an indoor art event; the woman holds a framed picture of a figure with a deer head and black dress.

Tattoo of a rabbit with a leafy branch on the person's leg.

Black and white tattoo of a bird on a tree branch with a skull-shaped knot in the branch and a twisted, leafless tree in the background.

Tattoo of a mouse holding a knife and a bat hovering above a large batwing, with a background scene of a river, rocks, and skulls.

A wall decorated with framed pictures, posters, and Halloween-themed decorations including bats. A raccoon statue is sitting in a basket holding a bag of Doritos, standing on a wooden surface with a decorative lamp and some art pieces.

Wall decorated with various butterfly and insect illustrations, scientific drawings, and portraits of people, arranged in a collage.

A woman with blue hair wearing a Halloween witch hat with dragon designs, holding a small framed portrait of a person dressed as a deer with antlers. She stands in a crowded indoor event space.

A framed artwork depicting a woman in a long dress, with smoke rising from her head, standing in front of a burning area. The frame is ornate with gold floral details and a red inner border.

A piece of artwork depicting a humanoid figure with a deer skull for a head, wearing a pink dress, placed on a marble table next to a lit white candle in a black container.

Two framed artistic images on a textured white wall. The left frame features a figure with a deer skull head and antlers, dressed in black. The right frame depicts a figure with a bird skull head, dressed in black, holding a cigarette and surrounded

A man and a woman standing together in an art store, smiling. The man is holding a framed black-and-white photo of a woman with tattoos, wearing a necklace and earrings. The background has art displays and other customers.

Gallery wall with various framed artworks including a photograph of a tree, a skeleton painting with flowers, a skull illustration, a cow skull, a person with a llama mask, a deer skull, and a colorful fish illustration.

A woman holding a framed artwork featuring a clown in a dark background at an art exhibit or convention.

Decorative framed artwork featuring a plant with a snake wrapped around the stem, a large orange circle background, and a patterned backdrop.

Three ornate framed pictures of deer skulls with antlers hung on a dark wall, with a vent above them and red lighting on the lower part of the wall.

A decorated wooden cabinet with various items on top, including a lava lamp, salt lamp, potted plant, framed artwork, a glass vase with dried pampas grass, a small picture frame, a white pot with succulents, and some books. There are candles on the l

Two people smiling and posing for a photo at an art or comic convention, holding a framed artwork of a surreal scene of a human figure with wings. The man has dark curly hair, wears glasses with red lenses and a leather jacket, and the woman has long

A floral wallpapered wall with three framed pictures of women in vintage or historical costumes. There is a tufted gray headboard or sofa at the bottom of the image.

A framed artwork depicting a woman with a headless figure, wearing a long dress, standing on a small fire with smoke and sparks.

Dark living room with a blue velvet sofa, decorative pillows, a tufted ottoman, framed art, a mounted fox head, a butterfly decoration, a framed moon phase chart, a houseplant, and dark walls.

Decorative art piece featuring a framed illustration of a woman in Victorian dress riding a mechanical horse, with lavender flowers in a jar to the left, a display of moss with small white ornaments to the right, and a large blue feather, a shell, an

Decorative art piece with a collage of flowers, hands, and a moon, with a butterfly and the quote 'Hold onto whatever makes you happy' inside a black frame on a brick wall.

A framed painting of a woman in a long black dress holding a violin and bow, with flaming embers at her feet.

A vintage-style black and red lamp with a fringed shade, an ornate black-framed photo of a woman in a black dress, and two red devil figurines holding a green ball on a dark surface against a black and white damask patterned wallpaper background.

A painting of a woman with tattoos, wearing a white dress and a platinum crown, seated in an ornate gold frame.

A young woman with black curly hair, glasses, and tattoos on her arms, stands at an art booth holding a framed piece featuring fantasy illustrations of women and a butterfly. She wears a black T-shirt with red text and fishnet sleeves.

A living room with a dark wall decorated with framed artwork, butterfly decorations, and a mounted animal head. There is a royal blue velvet sofa with black and blue pillows, a faux fur throw, and a knitted blanket. A side table with a patterned plan

A framed portrait of a person with a deer mask and antlers, wearing a black dress, standing in front of a wooden table against a plain background.

A woman with red hair smiling and holding decorative plates with dancer illustrations in a store that has art prints and artwork on display.

Interior of a home with a gallery wall of framed artwork, plants, a wooden table, and chairs, near a door with a window.

A wall decorated with various butterfly and insect illustrations, artwork of a deer skull, and some characters dressed in fantasy costumes, with a black and blue moth-shaped pillow on the furniture below.

A woman standing in a busy indoor market or event space, holding a framed sketch of a kangaroo in her left hand and an ornate picture frame with a drawing of a girl and a dog in her right hand.

A framed mirror reflecting a person with a deer skull with antlers as a mask on their head and wearing black clothing, holding a pillow or cushion.

Person holding a framed artwork depicting a figure reaching towards the moon with a background of floating lights or bubbles.

A dark gray wall decorated with various picture frames, mirrors, and artwork of different sizes and styles, including illustrations, photographs, and decorative pieces. Two open doorways are visible on adjacent sides of the wall, with a small wooden

A painting of a woman in a vintage dress sitting on a chair with a person in a bull skull mask behind her, inside an oval frame on a wall.

Image of a woman wearing a gold satin dress with a deer skull and antlers as a mask, standing against a dark background.

A wall decorated with four images and text notes, including a quote about a demonically themed wall, three artistic photographs of nude women in various poses, and a digital artwork of wings and a moon.

Decorative framed artwork of a skeleton figure with a moon background, surrounded by a flower border, placed on a surface with a turquoise drawer, a skateboard, and a small shelf with a glass container and a Rasta-themed figurine or decoration.

A framed painting of a Native American man looking at the moonlit landscape, with a mountain, clouds, and a few flying birds in the night sky.

A wall with a blue upper half and a dark navy lower half, decorated with three framed black-and-white photos and a deer head mounted above them. A small gray cabinet with a vase of greenery and some bottles is partially visible on the left.

A surreal artwork depicting a woman with an animal skull and antlers as a head, wearing a strapless black dress, standing against a plain background.

A person wearing a vintage-style cream-colored dress with a bow at the waist, holding a small rabbit, and wearing a deer skull with antlers as a mask, standing against a brown background.

Decorative wall with framed vintage photographs and a large floral wreath, and small lanterns on the floor.

Photograph of a person holding a framed Picture of a woman in a black dress, with smoke coming from her head, sitting indoors with a dark green wall in the background.

Artwork depicting a nude woman reaching towards a large moon in a dark sky.

A framed painting of a woman with a smoke head, wearing a dark dress, standing with a cigarette in her hand, and flames at the bottom of the dress, hanging on a white wall in a living room.