"I base most of my work on landscapes. Usually I start with a birch tree and fill in from there with lakes, streams, swamps and other “up north" stuff. The pen and ink with watercolor combinations take a long, long time depending on the size of the work." -Jim Maki
JIM MAKI is a talented artist and dear friend of Olson House. He spent his career teaching art in the schools, which had him working with various mediums alongside his students every day, but it wasn't until retirement when he began to identify himself as an artist. His unique landscape pieces inspire tranquility and peace within our store.
Olson House (OH): Tell us about when you began drawing & painting and when you began selling your artwork.
Jim Maki (JM): I remember drawing airplanes in first grade. Real sales of my work started with my first art show, in Shorewood in 2002.
OH: What is your creative process? If you could give us an idea of what you start with when you begin a new piece and about how long it may take to complete.
JM: I base most of my work on landscapes. Usually I start with a birch tree and fill in from there with lakes, streams, swamps and other “up north" stuff. The pen and ink with watercolor combinations take a long, long time depending on the size of the work.
OH: If you could pass along some wisdom on creativity that you've gained from experience to someone else, what would it be?
JM: When you have a nice art work, put a nice frame and mat on it. Presentation is important. And if a person could draw or sketch every day that would help develop artsy skills. I usually saved my sketch times for faculty meetings, as they were so stimulating.
OH: What is your favorite thing to do in Milwaukee?
JM: New artists should continually check out my favorite place in Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Art Museum...as well as other art shows .