Summertime in Michigan
May You Find Safe Harbor, photographed in Holland, Michigan by Joshua Ritter
The idea that beauty is all around us rings especially true if you visit Michigan in the summertime. From the expansive Great Lakes to the many sand dunes, lighthouses, barns and pastures, the state of Michigan is ripe with inspiration for creatives. Below, our team highlights six Michigan-based artists whose work shines a spotlight on this beautiful state.
Carolyn Damstra
Carolyn is a Michigan-based artist working out of her backyard studio when she is not traveling and seeking inspiration for her nature-inspired work. She has a BFA in painting and a MA in art history, both from Michigan State University. Carolyn exhibits frequently in galleries and museums and also does commercial work such as illustrations, murals and commissions.
Alli McPhail
Born in Traverse City, MI, Alli grew up surrounded by woods, water, and natural beauty. Her mother taught her how to watercolor as a child, capturing her surroundings with a brush while on family trips to Canada and Michigan's Upper Peninsula. She later taught herself how to paint with acrylics and enjoys the flexibility and texture of the medium. Trained as an architect, Alli appreciates the built environment and its constructs but will never get tired of photographing and replicating nature through painting.
Joshua Ritter
Joshua is a nature and still life photographer enamored with the idea of capturing moments in time, from the subtle and often overlooked to the epic and grand. An enduring student of nature and light, often drawing inspiration from the abundant lakes, quiet beaches, and beauty of the roads less traveled that blanket his home state of Michigan.
Elizabeth Mayville
Artist and illustrator Elizabeth Mayville earned her BFA in 2006 and has been working and living in Grand Rapids, Michigan ever since. She likes to work in either gouache or oil paints, depending on what she’s hoping to achieve. She had her first baby in 2012 and currently spends her time balancing between being a painter, mom, wife and enthusiastic dog owner.
Mary Baude
Mary Baude is a Michigan-based interior designer and artist who loves color, texture, and design. She's inspired by nature including countrysides, mountains, trees, and oceans. Additionally, her love for architecture, old barns and animals play a significant role in her art and design.
Olivia Joy StClaire
"She believed she could, so she did," says Olivia Joy StClaire. A woodland hiker, beach walker, artist, and travel photographer, Olivia says "yes" to life and adventure. Her art has been featured in Urban Outfitters stores, HGTV Magazine, Traverse Magazine, Lake Superior Magazine and in homes around the world.
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