About

WHY Retro Gecko?

I have been living with geckos for more than 36 years.  As a kid, the only thing close to a gecko that I ever saw was at the Ohio State Fair each summer.  Then, I landed in Arizona – land of Saguaros, Gecko’s and other creatures of the desert.  From there it was on to Florida – MORE GECKOS!

So, with my fascination of Geckos and my love of anything Retro – a few of my friends started calling me “The Retro Gecko” and it stuck.

Toni Matison

I love all things Vintage and have spent the last 20 years collecting “stuff” which many of my family members and friends classify as “junk”.  Even more fun, is digging through second-hand stores searching for more “stuff”.

At this point in my life I have narrowed down to mostly fabrics and vintage jewelry.  There is something special about the texture of fabrics and I also admire hand-made papers.  Although, I do enjoy working in mosaic and love smashing old plates and creating funky mosaic pieces embellished with old jewelry, broken mirror or game pieces.  I guess this is my way of recycling old stuff into new art.

After 25 years as a Public Relations & Events Marketing professional, I am re-inventing my life.  As part of that process I have discovered my desire to create art.  While doing so, I hope to bring awareness and raise some funds for those who are living with Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).  I lost my husband, Harry Horn, to this disease in 2005 and know first-hand how special it is when people reach out to help.  You can read more about this effort on the Media Ties for ALS page.

I am a member of  Tucson Hand Weavers & Spinners Guild &  PaperWorks