Mary Ellen Sisulak

TO PURCHASE ARTWORK BY MARY ELLEN SISULAK, CONTACT HER DIRECTLY AT: 

TurtleRidge@gmail.com or 920-854-4839

Please tell Mary Ellen you saw her beautiful work on The Gallery of Wisconsin Art website! Thank You!

ARTIST STATEMENT

Door County has an often forgotten side that resides in the northern peninsula and Mink River Estuary. My work is inspired by this lack of exposure and seeks to illustrate the beauty of the area. My rambles take me deep into the forest, along the quiet shores and bluffs. I am awed by the gift of nature and feel there are unseen forces under the surface. My paintings deepen my relationship to the magic that is inherent in nature.

I am primarily focused on two mediums, mixed media and encaustic, because they allow to me express my subjects in a more dimensional way. My mixed media pieces incorporate leather stretched over a wood panel as opposed to a traditional canvas. This allows me to manipulate the surface by forming, carving and embedding stones or other elements. The natural properties of leather give a unique appearance when painted. My encaustic pieces use hot wax and water-soluble encaustic paints to create a textured surface with fine details. Both mediums pay homage to the sensory experience of nature.

My compositions are more illusionistic than strictly realistic. An example is “Red Sky at Night-Sailors’ Delight” a 36” x 48” encaustic. I have cut the composition into three bands: water, sun, sky. The painting of each area has a different feeling to reflect my subject. The water is calm, smooth and reflective, deceptive of weather to come. The sun is hot and illusive, filling the sky with its reflection of tumultuous towering and menacing clouds. Together, the whole scene is full of expectation.

After receiving a BFA in Painting in 1974, I took a giant leap of faith and moved to Ellison Bay, Wisconsin. My goal was to pursue a life closer to nature and to support myself through my art and craft. From 1986 to the present I have maintained an art studio and gallery. Recently “Artifact” was awarded The Gerhart Miller Award of Excellence. The journey only seems to have begun.