Neysa Winterer is a contemporary paper artist who also has works in other mediums such as paint and pastels.  A native of Newington, Connecticut, her vibrant artwork pays homage to her love of colors and of life around her. Her distinctive personal style emanates joy and expresses the deep admiration she has for artists of the past.

Picturesque landscapes, trees and lakes, reimagined works from Monet and Van Gough are all brought to life with contrasting and harmonious colors and bold compositions. As the artist explains, “Each piece of torn paper brings a uniqueness to my work and I love that.”

Neysa’s days are spent tearing and painting with paper in her home studio in Excelsior, Minnesota. Though her art career has been immensely successful, her real success lies in the family she has raised. Her four grown children live nearby and have blessed her with seven beautiful grandchildren. Her husband, Tom, and Yorkshire terrier, Bree, are her biggest fans and visit the home studio often to offer their full support.

Broken and Beautiful began during a time when I felt like my world was shattered around me.  The mosaics I create are imperfect by design. Each tiny piece is placed just as I pulled it from the wreckage. These miniature mosaics are unique, each with a different message. The list of our human struggles is endless. You may be experiencing loss, hardship, illness, abuse, severed relationships, addictions, hopelessness in all shapes and magnitudes. The truth is that we are all broken. The precious good news is that we are also beloved, and we are beautiful. 

It is my hope that having one of these mosaics will remind you of a memory, passion, or experience that brings comfort, healing, and joy. When the world is but a pile of brokenness, we are encouraged to pick up the pieces carefully and create a new beautiful. You are a precious masterpiece. 

You may find a fragment of mirror in your mosaic, an intentional reminder of how you see yourself. The journey inward is the most difficult of all our life travels. 

Wishing you love, peace and blessings galore!​

I’m surprised by art! Being an artist helps me balance life. Art simplifies and directs life as it requires time and contemplation. Oil and water color paintings are my means of expression through still life, landscaping and portraits. My subject matter is daily life, experiencing people and observing nature.  Living by Lake Waconia inspires my sense of color and  movement with the constant change of sky and water. Coney Island, its shape and atmospheric variance grabs my attention stirring my imagination. The garden is an inspiration in spring with flowering perennials and details of pollinating insects.

Art reminds me to be thankful to the one who leads. I have passion to share my enthusiasm for God’s creation. I’m like a primary student on an endless learning path into eternity. God is our greatest teacher and artist!

My wife Jane and I were involved in the first original development of Art Wander.  We hosted the first two Art Wander events at our home.  Jane as an artist painter and myself as a “worker bee” host. 

This year I have picked up the mantel of an original leather artist. I began working in leather about 7 years ago, but I have always been influenced by the touch and smell of leather since I was a boy.  My father repaired shoes and I was captivated by the strength, durability and beauty of leather. 

All my designed pieces are original and individual.  Each bag is hand cut, hand punched and hand stitched!

Pam believes that bringing nature indoors creates a sense of peace and connection. Through inspiring artwork and natural elements, she helps transform spaces into welcoming retreats. Her passion is helping others design a home they truly love—a place that uplifts, rejuvenates, and reflects their unique style.

I am a potter, entrepreneur, adventurer, videographer, photographer, father, and husband….just to name a few.

After studying abroad in India for 4 months in 2009, I began my pottery adventures in 2010 when I took my first wheel throwing class at Gustavus Adolphus in St. Peter, MN.  As the only non-art major in the class the odds of success were slim, but by the end of the class I had thrown more work than the rest of the class combined.

I combined my passion for handmade pottery and my entrepreneurship skills to purchase the coffeeshop Mocha Monkey in 2011, at the ripe age of 21. Since then, Mocha Monkey has grown from 1 store and 18 employees to 3 locations, and over 50 employees.  Mocha Monkey (voted the best coffeehouse in Minnesota) uses and sells all handmade Jon Schmidt pottery.  Since a solo cross country road trip in 2017, I have spent most of my time honing my pottery business, being a husband and father to our 18 month old son, and seeking out the next adventure.

Cathy has always been inspired by nature. Living In Puerto Rico the past two years she has been painting from her home on the edge of El Yunque Rain Forest.

The unique ecosystem has provided her with colorful ideas for new paintings from the luscious rain forest with all its bounty and beauty to the beautiful birds that visit her wherever she may wander.

Clark's bio on his Facebook page gives a brief sneak peak of what's behind the Front man for the popular local music group Traveled Ground. ( Singer, Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist, Teacher, Farmer and Traveler. Founder of Traveled Ground). He is also the founder of Hunted and Gathered (Earth-connected Art). All the materials used in these multiple artforms are ethically harvested from Clark’s land as the season supplies.

Clark is a long time teacher at Waconia High School, (although not music) a maple syrup farmer, a talented songwriter (which we get a look behind the curtain on that process in this interview) and the founder and lead singer.  He has toured nationally with Crystal Gayle as well as numerous other performers before coming back home to Waconia to marry and settle  down and raise a family.  He went back and got a teaching certificate and has been teaching young minds for over 30 years.

Growing up in a rural setting was the inspiration of my work. The natural outdoor setting gave way to exploration and exploration gave way to creative expression. There is a rare beauty in found materials and at a young age I discovered a new world. Taking something that was previously used and diminished and making it once again useful and beautiful. I have always enjoyed the process of creating something out of nothing by igniting its beauty through my interpretation of my findings.  I am drawn to steel, stone and kiln formed glass as my main mediums but I am comfortable in many and incorporate them into my work as needed.

I love the strength and the nature of steel and the vivid colors of the kiln formed glass and bringing them together is something that is natural for me.

My studio is set up to accommodate both the design and production of the kiln formed glass and also for steel welding and construction. My studio is located approximately 8 miles from my home just outside of Chaska, MN, where I reside with my husband and children.

Working with my hands has always been a part of my life.  Since I could move I have been collecting skills and creating things.  Living in many corners of the world, along with their extensive art communities, very much influences my work.  Exploring, adventuring & travel inspiration have been working their way into my pieces.  I create jewelry that I like to wear first and foremost and then I share them.  My focus is making smaller capsule collections that invoke a story of my travels and little pockets the world. I maintain a consistently available line as well that has crossover to the capsule collections. There is always an ongoing list of creations being planned on paper and in my thoughts.  I am ever grateful to be an art warrior and a student of life and travel.  Family and working with my hands are the two most important parts of my existence.

I believe that jewelry is more than just a fashion accessory. The right jewelry has the power to enhance a woman’s unique beauty, elevate her style and totally transform her look. The jewelry a woman chooses is highly personal and can reflect her personality and values. One-of-a-kind and custom pieces help her feel confident and special everyday. I carefully design and handcraft each piece using fine quality natural gemstones, pearls, raw diamonds, one-of-a-kind antiques and precious metals. I personally choose the stones and antique components. Although it's common practice to use an antique coin or medal made from a mold of the original, I always use the original. You can be assured that your piece is authentic, one of a kind and has been cherished and valued as a symbol of comfort, hope and protection throughout time and generations.

Oie jewelry has a timeless, heirloom quality, but a definite up-to-the-minute appeal. This juxtaposition is evident in the unexpected but harmonious designs. You’ll find luminous pearls paired with rustic leather or sparkling diamonds complementing an ancient coin or talisman.  Authentic rare coins, medals and other thoughtfully curated treasures from around the world and throughout time become cherished adornments and expressions of your own personal style.

I have always enjoyed creating jewelry using vintage and retro found objects, fishing lures and antlers incorporated with natural stone beads, glass and vintage beads. My work represents a great joy of history and the antiquing required to curate my pieces together with the artifacts through history. 

I enjoy creating the whimsical aspects in nature of birds and fish through my paintings in watercolor.  I also enjoy painting flowers in my whimsical method to create joy the art of watercolor. 

Each one of my printing blocks is carefully cut by hand and, depending on the amount of detail involved, can take several days to cut.

Then each print is made one at a time using specialized relief printing inks and then burnished by hand without the aid of a printing press. Inconsistencies in the process make each print a unique work of art.

Each year has been a new discovery working with a selection of glazes over both white and dark clays. Although trained in wheel thrown pottery at Minnetonka Center for the Arts, I am experimenting with hand built pieces in which I hand carve designs or add sculptural aspects. Looking at a slab of clay as a canvas, affords many creative possibilities for my love of carving motifs of birds, bees, bunnies and blossoms. My work consists of decorative tiles, animal sculptures, and functional pieces both hand built & thrown. My hope is that people will enjoy my pieces as much as I enjoy making them.

Inspiration comes from the wild life in the gardens and lake that surround me, as well as vacations by the oceans.  I am drawn to the color of water, so you will see a range of blues, aqua and greens on my pieces. I find these colors calming and soothing, much like time spent by water.  I live with my family, and our schnauzer on the lake where we a grateful for the beauty around us.

I make jewelry with handmade glass beads and silver. I make the glass beads with a technique known as lampworking, which uses a torch and colored glass rods to build each bead individually. The larger beads are hollow, I build them over a tube enabling me to puff a small amount of air into the built up hot glass, making the bead more even and rounded, yet still very strong and durable. I use silver metal clay which is fired in a kiln, and I hand fabricate the findings and other sterling pieces.

My business encompasses many facets of creativity. One of the fortunate aspects is I’m able to incorporate my love of art.

I’m able conduct several classes in local businesses and in my home, week long camps, private instruction and art installs throughout the year.
My gifts enable me to reach one on one or groups of any age , take on backdrop on production stage canvas A few times a year, private home murals and sellable items of various sizes.

This is an option for me to showcase just my artwork on its own and teach others to explore the artist inside themselves. I’ve been blessed enough to make art a part of my business and would love the opportunity to be in a field of some of the fellow artists I’ve watched, grown or worked along side this art wander event.

My name is Julie Benz and I live in a rural town called Waconia. I have been a photographer all my life, in addition to my airline career that has brought me all over the world! I love taking pictures, especially of people, and I do a lot of street photography abroad. I have taken up the hobby of creating cards and shooting all my own pictures for them. I dress up my neighbors, friends, and relatives and wrap up their animals in gauze to get the picture. I also ask them to climb slides in wigs and old dresses for ‘the shot’! We laugh a lot and have so much fun creating them! Some are serious but, for the most part, laughter is the best medicine! I hope you enjoy them.

It began as a hobby, but it quickly turned into a journey balancing what we love about making jewelry and trying to hunker down our personal life while raising our daughter (iykyk)! Two years later, we continue to make jewelry knowing our designs have created happy memories with others.

One of the more prolific stained glass artists in the area, Mike owned Quirks Gallery in Nisswa, MN for some time. Today, he has dialed back the hustle of managing that business and we are lucky to have his artistry featured here at Healing Ink & Art.

Come see his high-quality and unique works of Garden Art and other stained glass and metal pieces available now in Waconia.

Vivian’s hand-drawn watercolor cards celebrate the strength, resilience, and beauty of women. Each piece is thoughtfully designed to uplift and empower, whether through bold colors, inspiring messages, or delicate artistry that speaks to the heart. What’s your superpower? Intelligence, style, strategy, multitasking, wit, creativity, or empathy? Whatever makes you shine, Vivian’s art is a reminder that your unique gifts are worth celebrating.

Mark’s wheel-thrown and hand-built functional and decorative stoneware pottery with vibrant glaze colors is created with the intention of bringing more beauty and joy to every day life.