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Artist captures famous figures' class, mystique
by CORTNEY CASEY, C & G Staff Writer
Published: November 12, 2008 in the Sterling Heights Sentry
When it comes to her artwork, Angie Mausolf isn't afraid to take chances. "I'm a highly experimental artist," said Mausolf, Sterling Heights' Artist of the Month for November. "A lot of my best work has come from, 'I wonder what would happen if I try this.'" "This" could mean anything from making a mixed media piece shimmer with glitter to painting the iconic image of John F. Kennedy over a metallic lace pattern. The Warren resident said her trials turn out as planned about half of the time. But she's never regretful of even the unsuccessful attempts, as they often lead to other innovative ideas.
Growing up in rural Minden City, in Michigan's Thumb area, Mausolf began finding outlets for her creativity at an early age. "I've been drawing and painting my whole life, as soon as I could hold a crayon," she said. In high school, she began dabbling in acrylics. Though she later segued into pen and ink and mixed media pieces, acrylics remain her preferred medium, thanks to its quick-drying nature and ability to produce "rich, vibrant colors," she said.
Now a supply manager at the TACOM Detroit Arsenal, Mausolf, who earned a degree in education from Central Missouri State University, continues to make time for her craft, spending many hours in her home-based studio.
One of her personal favorite works, "Joan Crawford," features the starlet vamping in dark relief against blended hues of blue and copper. Mausolf said the mixed media piece - which incorporates spray glitter, spray paint and even household latex paint - took 30-40 hours to complete.
The image is part of a series dubbed "Retro Divas," featuring famous faces of the past, mainly movie stars.
A movie buff, Mausolf said she developed the collection's concept from watching old films. Back then, she said, actresses seemed to embody a classy, glamorous quality.
"They had a certain mystique to them," she said.
In another piece, "To Have and Have Not" star Lauren Bacall peers out alluringly from the frame. Mausolf created a gray metallic pattern on parchment paper by spray painting over a piece of lace before painting Bacall's visage by hand with acrylics.
She also crafted an image of JFK with a similar aura, using green paper and gold paint over lace. "When I'm working with people, I usually start with a photo for reference," she said. "I find a photograph in magazines, or sometimes on the Internet. And then I do some work from my imagination, or sometimes from my own photos."
The "Retro Divas" series comprises about a dozen pieces, all of which incorporate varied patterns and textures, said Mausolf.
But celebrities aren't her only cherished subjects; she also turns regularly to butterflies, appreciating the metaphor for change illustrated in their metamorphosis from drab caterpillar to fullfledged beauty.
Her representations of the creatures cover the complete spectrum: "I've gone from very realistic to very abstract," she said.
One pen-and-ink piece displayed at City Hall, "Swallowtail Butterfly," features patches of tiny, delicate curly-cues, checkerboard, circles, stripes and other patterns. Beside it is a more abstract companion, less intricate but boldly defined.
Mausolf said she rarely plans the style ahead of time, opting instead to embrace her whims. "It's whatever kind of inspires me at the moment," she said.
Mausolf encouraged budding artists to indulge their creativity. "Follow your intuition and don't give up," she said. "Do what you enjoy - and try and share it."
The Sterling Heights Cultural Commission continues to seek applicants for the Artist of the Month program. For more information, visit www.sterlingheights.net or call Community Relations at (586) 446-2489.
Mausolf's work will be on display throughout November on the lower level of Sterling Heights City Hall, 40555 Utica Road at Dodge Park Road. For more information on her artwork, which is for sale, visit www.angiemausolf.com.