Today we’d like to introduce you to Topher & Sara Mack
Hi Topher & Sara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Hi! Thank you for taking the time to interview us. We’re Topher and Sara Mack, the husband-and-wife duo behind Artist Couple, LLC.
Our story began at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design in 2014, where we first met; two artists drawn together by a shared love for creativity and a desire to make things that mattered. After graduating, we knew we wanted something more: a place where art was alive, opportunities were endless, and the sun shined a little brighter. Topher had family in Lakeway, TX, so we took a leap, packed up, and set our sights on Austin.
The moment we arrived, we felt it; the electricity of a city pulsing with creativity. Murals stretched across buildings like open love letters to expression. Music spilled out of every door and window. Artists weren’t just making a living here; they were thriving. We knew this was where we were meant to be.
In 2015, we officially launched Artist Couple with a simple but fearless mindset: say yes to everything and figure it out as we go. We painted murals, shot real estate photography, sold fine art at festivals, whatever it took to carve out a place for ourselves. We immersed ourselves in the creative community, learning, adapting, and discovering what truly set our hearts on fire: transforming spaces.
Art isn’t just something that hangs on a wall, it becomes the wall. It shapes the energy of a room, changes how people feel in a space. That realization was a turning point for us. We pivoted, refining our focus on murals, fine finishes, and custom artwork that could completely redefine an environment.
By 2020, we had traded our city apartment for an RV, embracing a more flexible lifestyle but, we found ourselves craving something more. We needed room to dream bigger, to create without limits. That longing led us to the perfect spot just outside Austin. With acres of possibility, we could experiment, refine our craft, and build something truly our own. Now, with a couple of cats, some free-roaming chickens, and an ever-growing list of creative projects, we wake up each day surrounded by inspiration, ready to bring new ideas to life.
As we celebrate a decade in business, our passion has only deepened. Whether it’s an immersive mural, a sophisticated accent wall, or a custom fine art piece, our mission is the same: bring visions to life and make spaces unforgettable. Looking back, it’s been a wild ride, but we wouldn’t change a thing.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Success is rarely a straight path, and ours has been full of twists, hurdles, and moments of doubt. Moving across the country to a city where no one knew us, surrounded by an incredible pool of established talent, was both inspiring and intimidating. We weren’t just trying to build a business; we were trying to build a reputation, a community, and a name for ourselves as artists in a city that already had its fair share of creatives.
In those early years, there were definitely moments when we wondered if we’d make it. We took on odd jobs, stretched every dollar, and put in long hours not knowing if the risk would pay off. There were times when a project fell through, a mural commission didn’t go as planned, or the financial uncertainty of being self-employed weighed on us. But through every setback, we had one thing that never wavered: each other.
Being partners in both life and art gave us an anchor. When one of us felt discouraged, the other was there to push forward, to remind us why we started, and to reframe challenges as opportunities. We learned that persistence is just as important as talent, and that creativity isn’t just about making art, it’s about finding solutions, adapting, and constantly evolving.
Slowly, things started to shift. One successful project led to another. Word-of-mouth spread. People started to trust us with their creative visions. And through all of it, the Austin community our clients, fellow artists, friends, and family lifted us up and gave us opportunities that shaped us into the artists we are today.
Looking back, the struggles weren’t just obstacles; they were the forge that shaped us. They taught us resilience, deepened our passion, and reinforced that we’re stronger together than we ever could be alone. For that, we’re endlessly grateful.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Art, to us, isn’t just about decoration, it’s about transformation. It’s about stepping into a space and feeling something shift, something unspoken yet deeply felt. That’s what we do at Artist Couple, LLC. We create murals, fine finishes, and custom artwork that breathe life into walls and redefine environments.
Our work ranges from large-scale public murals that engage entire communities to high-end interior finishes that turn ordinary walls into works of art. We specialize in creating immersive, site-specific pieces that enhance the spaces they inhabit, whether that’s a city street, a business, or someone’s home.
What We’re Known For
We’re known for our ability to take an idea, sometimes just a spark of inspiration and turn it into a tangible, breathtaking reality. Our murals are designed to tell stories, evoke emotion, and invite interaction. Take our “Train of Thought” mural in Pflugerville, for example: a sprawling, 90-foot visual scavenger hunt filled with over 100 idioms and hidden references. What started as a mural became a community-wide puzzle, a game, a reason for people to stop, look closer, and connect with each other through art.
Beyond murals, our fine finishes and specialty textures elevate interiors to a whole new level. Whether it’s Venetian plaster, Roman clay, or faux marble, we love creating finishes that add depth, warmth, and character to a space. There’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing a client walk into a room and run their hands over a newly finished wall, realizing it’s unlike anything else; a truly custom, handcrafted work of art.
What Sets Us Apart
We bring a rare duality of styles to every project. Sara’s precision and love for clean, detailed craftsmanship blends seamlessly with Topher’s expressive, bold approach, giving us the ability to adapt and innovate depending on the needs of a project. This means our work never looks the same twice, it’s always a perfect reflection of the client, the space, and the story being told.
But beyond our technical skill, what truly sets us apart is our commitment to collaboration. We don’t just walk into a space and impose our vision; we listen, we interpret, we work closely with our clients to turn their ideas into something beyond what they ever imagined. We take pride in the relationships we build through our work, making every project a true creative partnership.
What We’re Most Proud Of
Honestly? The fact that we built this. That we took a leap of faith, leaving behind traditional jobs, navigating uncertainty, pushing through the struggles and turned our passion into a career that not only sustains us but inspires others.
We’ve had the privilege of creating work that people live with, work around, and experience every day. Our murals have become photo backdrops, landmarks, conversation starters. Our fine finishes have transformed interiors into places that feel more refined, more personal, more complete. And with every project, we’re reminded that what we do isn’t just about the paint or the plaster, it’s about the people who interact with it, the memories it becomes part of, and the lasting impact it leaves behind.
At the heart of it all, that’s what keeps us going. Not just making art, but making art that matters.
What were you like growing up?
I think we have to answer this one individually, so Topher will go first.
I was a restless kid; the kind that was always moving, always taking things apart just to see if I could put them back together again. I grew up on a farm outside of Madison, WI, and the land itself became my first canvas, my first classroom. The fields, the ravines, the endless expanse of nature; it was all a place of discovery. I spent my days exploring, collecting, observing, and, admittedly, disassembling everything I could get my hands on. If it had screws, gears, or moving parts, I wanted to understand how it worked. That curiosity wasn’t always appreciated by my family. More than a few times, they found me sitting in a pile of scattered pieces, trying to reassemble something that wasn’t technically mine to take apart. But I couldn’t help it. I needed to know.
That same hunger for understanding stayed with me, but as I grew older, my focus shifted from machines to people, from mechanics to culture. I became fascinated with the way communities form, how identities are shaped, and the invisible threads that connect us across borders and backgrounds. That’s what led me to pick up a camera, not just to document the world, but to explore it, to engage with it, to better understand the human experience.
Photography became a way to dive deep, to ask questions, to pull apart the layers of society and see what holds it all together. It took me to places most people only dream about—remote corners of Kenya, where I visited schools built by The Nobelity Project for communities that had never had one before. A secluded island in Honduras, where I lived among the locals in St. Helene, learning what it truly meant to exist in a place others only see as a postcard-perfect paradise. I stood in the midst of Thailand’s 2014 military coup, watching history unfold in real time. I walked through neighborhoods in Milwaukee, documenting the disproportionate effects of the housing market collapse on underserved communities. I’ve written articles, created zines, and dedicated projects to mining, industrial destruction, and the impact of pollution on our oceans.
Through it all, I’ve never lost that need to explore, to understand, to connect. And I think that’s the thread that ties everything I do together. Whether it’s through photography, murals, or fine finishes, my work is always about peeling back the layers, showing the beauty, the struggle, the resilience, and the undeniable commonality we all share as human beings.
Sara, how about you?
I was always a curious, creative, and active kid. Growing up in the southern Midwest, (mostly Arkansas and Missouri), I moved every few years, constantly adapting, meeting new people, and embracing fresh starts. I think that experience shaped a big part of who I am today, making me unafraid of taking risks, eager to try new things, and excited by new environments. Whether it was learning a new sport, picking up an instrument, or diving into a new subject at school, I thrived on the challenge of figuring things out. I played violin in fifth grade, switched to tenor saxophone in middle school, then to alto saxophone—just to see how it felt. I ran, swam, played volleyball, track, gymnastics and more. I loved being outside and still do!
Through all the changes in my childhood, one thing stayed constant: art. It was always there, always something I could turn to. When I was young, one of my grandparents gave me a digital camera, and another grandparent gave me an easel; and that was it, I was hooked. I spent my childhood capturing textures and colors, creating all day, and playing fun drawing games with my dad all night. My parents were my biggest cheerleaders, always encouraging whatever new thing I wanted to try, and a huge reason why I am a professional artist today.
I had always been a list-maker, a planner, someone who colored inside the lines, but in college, I quickly learned that creativity wasn’t just about skill and coloring in the lines- it was about mindset, discipline, and the willingness to break my own rules. Art school aided me in experimentation, taking harsh criticism and conquering my worst enemy- artist block. I did a lot of growing up in college. I taught myself to be more patient and had to unlearn the idea that art had to be rigid or could be controlled like an academic subject. Looking back, it was the perfect lesson for the life I was about to step into, one where risks, reinvention, and patience wouldn’t just be valuable, but essential to building a career as a full-time artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artistcouple.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artistcouplellc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artistcouple/
Image Credits
Artist Couple, LLC
