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Hello ChinDeep friends! I am so pleased and honored to introduce this week’s Guest Artist, Mary Parks! She is an amazingly talented woman who creates gorgeous textile and yarn offerings. You will SO enjoy visiting her Etsy Shop!

Mary Parks

Artist Bio~
I am a former art museum curator who took to the road and landed – happily – at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota.

My creations are largely influenced by the beauty, quality and simplicity of the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th century.

I believe that we can nourish our souls by adding beauty to our every day lives. To that end, I love to create practical things – including purses, totes, pillows and knitting needle cases – from gorgeous, high-quality materials.

When I am not busy with my magical creations, I am usually outside playing with my family – or enjoying my job at the local public library.

Please, follow my adventures on my BLOG. ”

– My favorite materials:
velvet, brocade, silk, linen, tapestry, pearls, semi-precious stones, vintage buttons, waxed cotton cord, natural fiber yarn, leather.

– the bit from my blog:
“skrapyram is Mary Parks: a former art museum curator who took to the road and landed happily in a small town at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Lately she spends her days working at the local library, building a house, and raising a son (her husband helps out with some of that stuff). With any time that’s left over, skrapyram gardens, knits, bakes, sews and reads.”

– some random factoids:
-skrapyram = Mary Parks, spelled backwards
BA in art history from U of M, MA in management from St. Mary’s University of MN
She worked at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for 7 years as Assistant Registrar for Exhibitions, 3 years at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art as Collection Curator.  Sold everything, bought a 4 wheel drive RV and hit the road.  Traveled mainly in the American Southwest, but ended up in Ely about 5 years ago.
Bought 5 acres north of Ely and built a house – it’s still under construction, but we moved in about 3 months ago.

Some of Mary’s beautiful art~

Bungalow Bag

Knitting Needle Case

pillows

zipper bags

yarn roses

Thank you, Mary, for the gorgeous art and for being a guest artist on ChinDeep!

~Melissa