By : Bonnie Rusinko
Remember that saying … You can ’ t teach an old dog new tricks . Well , contrary to that thought , in the art world most creativity is from experimenting and learning lots of tricks , and believe me you are never too old to learn or create a new trick or two . Our featured artist , MARY K . STEENWYK is definitely not afraid , loves to experiment and continually seeks out new ways to create art in all styles and forms . Her newest creation is her very own DOODLE ART COLORING SHEETS ; a package of 20 single pages of original , intricate designs created for adults / children to color . Once colored , it can be framed .
When you meet Mary you are immediately drawn to her soft-spoken and gentleness and would never guess she is this versatile artist who can create in oils , acrylics , charcoal , colored pencils , watercolor , textured plaster , mixed media and anything else that piques her interest . She blew me away when she shared that she is a self-taught artist , who discovered the joy of painting when her grandparent s gave her an oil ‘ paint by number ’ set for Christmas . She knew then she was hooked and eventually started painting without the numbers . While in middle school , she was given a correspondence art course by her parents . She said , although she didn ’ t learn much from it , it introduced her to a lot of different media . She also took an evening oil painting class offered by the school and created just one painting which she still has to this day . Her fondest memory was taking a class
with her father who discovered he , too , could paint . He painted two paintings and decided that was enough .
Mary was born in Grand Rapids , MI but raised in the rural area of Byron Center just south of the big city . She loved the country with its rolling hills and farmland . With a stay-at-home mom and four siblings , Mary said there was always something to do or being planned . She was very active in the Youth Group at church where in later years she met her husband , Dennis , when he accidentally hit her in the head with a volleyball during one of their youth group events . They soon married and left Michigan for Florida where Mary opened her own art store and enjoyed being around the art-loving customers . However , she said God had other plans . One day while at church a missionary spoke about JAARS located in the small town of Waxhaw . Mary and Dennis just knew this is where they could make a difference in people ’ s lives , so
after 13 years in Florida , they moved to be part of the JAARS community . Mary and Dennis have three very talented children ; Tim , Shelly and Dawn . When asked if any of them had their mom ’ s natural talent , she was quick to respond that Tim is a computer programmer ; Shelly is a creative writer and Dawn is an art teacher . So yes , all three are blessed with talent .
Mary loves Waxhaw and enjoys being a member of the Waxhaw Art Council ( WAC ) and being a part of the art community . Sharing ideas with other artists allows her to really enjoy developing her own unique style of painting . Mary considers herself an eclectic artist who paints many different subjects , styles and uses different media and foundations . Mary is very modest and said she hopes God will use her art to inspire others to enjoy art .
Mary never ceases to amaze me and other artists with the talent she displays . Her new adventure and project DOODLE ART COL- ORING SHEETS is only one facet of this very innovative and creative artist . I am sure she is already thinking or searching for her next experiment in the arts . Can ’ t wait to see it , Mary .
Mary ’ s art will be displayed at the Town Hall Art Wall for the month of March and also in Maxwell ’ s Art Window , so if you get a chance , stop by and be amazed at our very own local artist , MARY K . STEENWYK .
HAW NEWS ● MARCH / APRIL 2017 ● 17