Every time I go back to the Upper Peninsula (Michigan) to visit my mom, the decorations have changed. But one thing is certain: every wall, every corner, will be filled with things. The overall effect is like stepping into a storybook. Little dramas are unfolding everywhere you turn.
Take her dining room. This one wall holds so much life: figurines, plates, artworks, books and CDs, sculptures, plants, pussywillows, dolls, rocks, bones, feathers, instruments, candles, jars, lamps, prayer cards, Buddhas, pens and pencils, sewing supplies, and an old kerosene lantern.
Artwork hangs on every possible surface. It leans against walls and drapes over chairs. It marches with you up the stairs.
In her studio, art is just forming, gestating on easels and cork boards, surrounded by inspiration. She just shipped a batch of paintings to a gallery in Wisconsin, so the studio is emptier than usual, except for a section devoted to dolls in progress.
Even her kitchen and bathroom display obvious signs of belonging to an artist: bright colors and patterns, spices mixed with statues, a patchwork collection of herbal tea boxes, artist-made cups and plates, inspirational sayings, and gatherings of things that look as if they’ve been placed on an altar.
Notice the snow drifts outside--it's around 16 degrees here!
Her entire home is an art studio. It’s a reflection of what inspires her—as an artist, a Buddhist, and a woman who has trudged life’s road for 88 years. She’s well known up here. People come from all over Michigan to visit her studio and collect her art. But she doesn’t want to make too much money from her paintings. It’s important to her that the people who buy her work do so because they need it, not because they’re making an investment.
She’s taught me so much about putting your heart and spirit into your work. Even if our styles and tastes are often very different. Check out her work at www.joycekoskenmaki.com. And here’s one of her newest pieces:
Art Heals
Natasya Shuliak creates the most awesome felt figures. Every one makes me smile. They're small enough to fit in your hand. I'm saving up for one--if I can snag it before it sells! She says that "dry felting" is a painstaking technique, so she only adds more to her store every few months. Formerly in Moscow, she now lives in Georgia (the country, not the state).
