Artist of the Month - October 2007
Wendy Powalisz

Her rosy cheeks are like a reflection of wild fuchsia growing on Erin’s Isle. The tumble of red hair hints at an energy and intensity not immediately obvious in her mild demeanor. Wendy Powalisz is a study in contrasts — reflective and vibrant, pensive and passionate. How did this “Irish lass” from Milwaukee end up living like a pioneer on the “back 40” of 200 acres of woods in Land O’ Lakes? “We wanted to live life beyond the sidewalks,” Powalisz said. “We pretty much live intentionally.” This watercolorist and beaded-jewelry designer moves comfortably between the tools of a carpenter and those of an artist. Early in their marriage, Powalisz and her husband restored an old farmhouse in New Berlin and began to develop a dream. They had often traveled to the North Woods of Wisconsin and began to ponder, “Maybe we should go up North for a while. Maybe we should buy a cabin. Maybe we should just live there!” The idea took hold — to work together, be creative and live off the land. In 1991, the Powaliszes purchased 200 acres in Land O’ Lakes and began to clear the property for their log home. With hand tools, they cut down trees, peeled the logs and set them to dry. They handpicked stones, built a fieldstone foundation and then suddenly, life threw them a curve. Early one September morning, a terrible auto accident nearly put an end to their plans. They were so severely injured that each had to return to family for care and rehabilitation. “I thought our dream was gone,” Powalisz said. But a year later, healed, with new strength and resilience, they returned to find the logs dried. They went back to work and their dream began anew.

Now settled in their solar-powered cabin — the quarter-acre garden, root cellar, surrounding forest, wildlife and resident ravens all serve as inspiration for Powalisz’s artistic endeavors. As a child, her life was filled with pens and pencils, paint and paper. “My parents were hugely encouraging. Every room in our house had a mural I had painted,” Powalisz said. “I studied commercial art for a while, but knew it wasn’t for me. I was even accepted to study at the Art Institute of Chicago, but I didn’t go.”

Her interest in beads began at an early age. Powalisz’s grandmother had necklaces and a big jar of buttons for her little granddaughter’s playtime. “Discovering the feel of beads and buttons was fascinating,” Powalisz said. In a providential moment following the auto accident, a caring hospital nurse gave Powalisz a handmade, beaded bracelet. This was when the seeds of jewelry making really began to germinate. She embarked on her jewelry journey by restoring bracelets and necklaces and collecting vintage, glass, gemstone and metal beads. “Today, I view my jewelry designs as a ‘collection’ of beads, each with a story to tell. Fueled by the wide variety of beads available, my one-of-a-kind designs  become a collage of color, shape, texture and form,” Powalisz explained. “It takes four different tools just to make a pair of earrings.

I use a lot of natural stones. I buy only fair-traded silver from Thailand. My beads are Italian, German and African trade beads. The biggest maker of beads in the world is the Czech Republic, with China close behind.” A card identifying the beads used is always included with items purchased from Powalisz. She feels a responsibility to educate her buyers. The historical significance of beads is vast. “Beads signify wealth and are symbols of importance in cultures from Indian to African to the Middle East. For example, the ‘eye bead’ (to ward off evil spirits) is common in many tribes. Even the cavemen had bone beads,” she said. The current of creative energy continues to flow in Powalisz’s watercolors. All inspired by nature, they run the gamut of natural to abstract. Her love of color is evident in paintings bursting with rainbow hues. “The easy flow of color and water speaks volumes to who I am and what I see. The push and pull of pigment can be so exciting and yet soothing and peaceful,” she said. Powalisz took painting classes from Eagle River’s Jane O’Brien. O’Brien introduced her to Land O’ Lakes photographer Carol Miller and she was invited to join  the artists who make up The Studio Gallery in Boulder Junction.

“I felt deeply honored to join these women. They all inspire me,” she said. Powalisz also is a member of the Art Gypsies Traveling Show, a spirited troop of gifted artists. She displays her work at Wild Expressions in Land O’Lakes. She can be seen at art fairs, including Art Impressions and Art in the Yard in Land O’ Lakes, Art on Main in Three Lakes and the North Woods Summer and Fall Art Tour. The rest of the time, she’ll be home working in Land O’Lakes at Back Forty Arts. Don’t be surprised if she expands her medium of expression. Textiles may be next on her list.

Powalisz described her approach, her past and, no doubt, her future. “When you want to do a thing . . . I’m the kind of person who learns how to do it. Offering up my interpretation of life and nature can be unnerving, but also very rewarding,” she said. “Seeing delight spread across a person’s face in response to my work means the world to me.”

Gay Scheffen writes Artist of the Month articles for the Three Lakes Center for the Arts in the North Woods.