About the Artist

Marcia Conlon is a multi-media collage artist from Traverse City, Michigan, USA. She works primarily in various forms of paper: vintage magazines, antique books, maps, cardboard and other paper ephemera she picks up along the way. She also creates her own papers using acrylic paint and gesso. Marcia has a BA in Art History from the University of Michigan but has mostly self-taught various art mediums. In addition to collage work, Marcia is also a jewelry designer specializing in vintage paper and resin.

How women are represented in the media and their roles in society is what inspires Marcia’s primary work. She is also inspired by the natural beauty or Northern Michigan where she lives by the bay.

About Artist’s Work:

Collage is a medium that I have discovered fairly recently. Once I started experimenting with it I realized how much it resonated with me. It’s a medium that is drawn forth by a deep hidden intuition. I believe my best work comes when I turn my mind off and work from pure instinct and emotion. My inspiration comes from the juxtaposition of femininity, the sublime, and traditional images of women in the media against the gritty reality of life.

I like working with materials that are a little rough, grungy, maybe a little dirty. I juxtapose very feminine images of woman from vintage magazines or antique photos next to found material like cardboard, vintage paper and deconstructed book pages.

I have been drawn to artistic practices most of my life, even though I have had an eclectic professional life. I have a degree in Art History from the University of Michigan and then later I obtained a Bachelors Degree in Nursing. I have had many careers throughout my life. I was born in Detroit, but have lived in Traverse City for 23 years.

Art had woven its way into my life throughout but my love of paper is always a part of it. My medium is paper and glue. I love anything old: vintage magazines, antique books, old postage stamps and paper ephemera of all kinds. I mostly use a watercolor paper substrate for my pieces but I will also experiment with cardboard and old book covers.

About the Artist

Sara Glupker is a painter who works out of her studio in rural Michigan. She earned her B.F.A. in Painting from Western Michigan University in 2005 and has been working as an artist for the past 15 years. Sara enjoys painting with acrylic, watercolor and oil paint and her paintings are described as colorful, whimsical and representational of flowers and nature. Sara’s paintings reside in many private and corporate collections including the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and Bronson Methodist Hospital of greater Kalamazoo, MI- who own over 50 of Sara’s paintings among multiple healthcare locations. Sara’s studio, named Cherry Tree Art Studio, is adjacent to her home and was built on special family property that was once a cherry orchard. Sara finds her inspiration being in the woods or running on trails outdoors and she enjoys telling stories with her paintings. Sara is a mother to three budding artists and enjoys creating with her daughters. In her spare time, she likes to run, read, be in her garden, bake, cook, sew, bike and swim. Sara’s work can be viewed and purchased on her website: www.SaraGlupkerArt.com and her studio is open year-round by appointment.

Artist Statement

I believe that as human beings we need to create and use our hands. For me, my favorite way to create is to use paint and a brush or palette knife. I love how the paint glides over the surface, whether it is smooth or a bumpy canvas. I am drawn to nature as a subject matter, I love the shapes of nature, the colors and the textures. I am particularly drawn to flowers at this moment. I love all of the cultural symbols that flowers represent: femininity, beauty, individualism.  I love how different flowers can symbolize different ideas like love, freedom and friendship. I am also very drawn to color and how different colors soothe while other colors spark action and excitement. I love to experiment with colors and combinations of colors in my paintings. At my core, I believe that art heals both the creator and the viewer. Painting not only makes my heart sing but it is a salve for my soul. I have used the time in the last year and a half in my studio to explore this idea of art and healing and have allowed my artwork to take me deeper into my healing journey. It has been an incredible adventure that has rewarded me so much. It is my hope that this pouring of love, energy and healing into my works is absorbed into the canvas and is later received by the viewer.