Artist In The Spotlight: KaSandra Barbo

A Ulysses native, KaSandra Barbo, was born and raised here.

"I have lived in Ulysses all my life, however, I moved around for a few years in Texas," Barbo said. "I came back to Ulysses because it's where my family is."

Barbo has been showing her work at MainARTery for about a month.

"I am showcasing my hand poured coconut wax candles, wax melts, room & linen sprays and car diffusers," she said. "I originally decided to start making candles because I was tired of the toxic carcinogens being released into my home where my dogs could inhale the bad. I wanted something I could make pure and safe for homes! I also love different scents so I wanted to create different smells for everyone to try!  All of my products are safe for animals and babies to be around."

Barbo formed her company, Kaben Kandles, along with husband Ben.

"An interesting fact about our candle company is our name - Kaben is a mix of mine and my husband's name, KaSandra and Ben, hence the name Kaben Kandles," she said.

Barbo's other family members are Ernie and Janey Gonzales.