Painted in the stars

For Oconto Artist McKenna Kornowski art is more than just a hobby — it’s a lifetime hobby and a career.

“My mom is a retired middle school art teacher, so I was brought up with art all around me,” Kornowski said. “I think she said she put a crayon in my hand at the age of two and I started drawing at the kitchen table, so I’ve been an artist my whole life, much like many artists have.”

Kownowski has since graduated from crayons and now works with a wide variety of mediums to create a style all her own.

“I call myself a mixed-media acrylic painter,” she said. “Mixed media entails fabrics, papers, pages of books, sometimes even dead bugs — anything that I can use to add texture and depth to my work. It’s the paint, but when you look closer, it’s not only the paint. It’s lots of stuff that I’ve found whether it’s at a resale shop or at a garage sale.”

Her experimentation with alternative mediums, Kornowski said, actually began on a trip to the thrift store.

“When it comes to the mixed-media elements in my work, that happened maybe nine or ten years ago,” she said. “I was donating a bag of clothes to St. Vinnie’s and I looked down at the bag of clothes and it was just so beautiful. The textiles had all of these bright patterns and textures to them and I thought, ‘I spent good money on these clothes, why not make use of them some other way?’ That’s how my mixed media came about.”

Growing up around Wisconsin, it took a few years spent living in Washington to really launch Kornowski’s art career.

“I’m originally from Eau Claire, but I spent the majority of my life in Suamico,” Kornowski said. “Recently, my husband and I moved to Washington state around 2016 and that’s where my art career really took off. We took part in an outdoor art market in the middle of Washington state, in a little town called Leavenworth. It’s a big tourist town and every weekend we would set up our art booth and sell to thousands of people throughout the state and lots of tourists.”

While selling to the masses in Washington, Kornowski said she learned to take criticism in stride and focus on her passion for creating art.

“I’ve definitely learned to grow a much thicker skin as a painter,” she said. “As artists, you’re really putting your heart out there on your sleeve and I remember starting off, I’d hear a comment by a customer or someone just walking by. They didn’t mean anything by it, but I’d go home and think, ‘Oh man, I’ve got to change this.’ Or, ‘I should do more of this.’ I no longer take comments like that to heart… I don’t want 100% of the people out there loving my work. I want to be kind of controversial in a way. I want people to ask questions. I know I’m an artist, I know I’m growing and that’s what I’m here for. That’s what I’m put on this Earth to do — to paint.”

Since moving back to Wisconsin, Kornowski has made art her full-time job — something she never dreamed would be possible.

“The time that I spent in Washington, I was saving money and I was paying off debt,” she said. “Recently, I built a house and I did that all with my art sales — something I never thought could be possible. Ten years ago, if you told me that I’d be a painter, building a house and paying off my student debt with the things that I make with my hands, I’d laugh at you.”

Her Northeast Wisconsin home and the wildlife that surrounds it serve as the subject for much of Kornowski’s work these days.

“I tend to paint a lot of animals — sometimes trees and plants, but mostly animals,” she said. “Coming back to Wisconsin really honed my interest in the animals around me. We just built a house on 14 acres of land, so I see a lot of birds and signs of animals that inspire me — foxes are a big one, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks. Wisconsin and its environment has definitely inspired me in that way.”

For other artists looking for inspiration for their own work or to introduce a new medium, Kornowski suggests taking a trip to your closet and seeing where it leads you.

“If you’re just looking to branch out and don’t know where to start, I always suggest that people look in their own closets at a blouse or a pair of pants that they haven’t worn in a while and just be brave, cut it up and start laying fabric down,” she said. “On a broader brush stroke — pun intended — just don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s part of it. You’d be surprised at how many bad paintings I make. You only showcase the good ones on Instagram or on your website, but don’t be afraid to make a bad painting. It’s completely part of the process.”

To view more of Kornowski’s work and find out about upcoming shows and exhibits, visit mckennakornowskiart.com.