If one were to conjure an image of the idealized artist’s life, one might describe riding a bicycle through the picturesque English countryside, or visiting sunny California to study ceramics. The whimsical Suzette Kelly has lived these very adventures and more. The accomplished artist has responded to the ups and downs of life with joy, flexibility and creativity, a sense of humour, and a willingness to try new things.

Though she has taken many roads less traveled in pursuit of her art, she has also stopped to . . .

share what she has learned along the way — as making art and teaching art so often go hand-in-hand. Kelly sat down with THE EQUITY on Saturday morning to share a pot of coffee and discuss her spirited journey, and how the circuitous path she has forged has culminated in her taking residence in Fort-Coulonge.

“I have always wanted to settle down in a rural Canadian community like this,” she insists. Moving easily between English and French, she affirmed “I feel like I belong here, like it’s exactly where I’m meant to be. Now I just need to get started doing more of the stuff I want to do,” she added, laughing.

Her plan to start an art school was slowed down by lockdowns and restrictions. She is biding her time until mandates are sufficiently relaxed, knowing the trove of art supplies in her basement will be ready for when that happens. She is confident that she will find her place in the local community. “I have always envisioned having a little art teaching store in town, where kids can come after school and take art classes, or families can come for weekend activities,” she said, describing a long cherished dream.

There is whimsy and nostalgia in her vision, but Kelly’s ‘artistic pedigree’ is serious. The accomplished artist holds an undergraduate degree from the Art Institute of Chicago and a master’s from Maryland Institute, College of Arts. This background paints a picture of a dedicated artist, and her artwork tells a similar story. Literally, it turns out.

“I illustrated this book during the pandemic,” she said, pulling out a cheerful children’s book, adorned with delicate, colourful watercolour paintings. Her style demonstrates a confidence with colour and line that comes from a technically skilled, practiced hand.

However, when she shares her collection of music boxes, there is a sense that this is where she has fully engaged her creativity, and where she has found her artistic voice. “These really need to be shown together, in the proper environment,” she cautioned, as she positioned herself to stand among several brightly coloured round boxes. “These boxes used to hold cheese — I was buying produce and the shopkeeper had some for sale. They pique my imagination. I love how engaging it is to create art with them, and also how immersive the experience is for those who see it,” she said.

“Each one of these tells a story,” she explained as she moved around her collection. “This one is a Dr. Seuss book, and all of the items you’ll see on the box are representative of things in the book. But just like how we read, or appreciate art, if you’re an adult you might enjoy more of the introspective or philosophical elements on the box — whereas kids would probably recognize the book from a lot of the same items or the decorations on the side, but without much of the nuance or context.”

Kelly continued, “some people will appreciate things more literally, without much of the symbolism, whereas others will discover humour, or irony, or patterns. It’s possible for everyone to spend time with the same box, and even agree what it’s about, but have a completely different appreciation of what the box means.”

Making one of these boxes, or even a few, might be an interesting way to express an artistic impulse, or idea. But creating this many of them pushes the envelope, to the point where they take on a life of their own. Her boxes become the medium through which she creates a genre. There are tropes, motifs, elements and icons that connect her pieces, but they are all deeply personal for Kelly.

“This is a Canadian box,” she said, motioning toward a vibrant, red container. The Canadian part would be difficult to miss, but every minute detail has meaning for the artist — from the carved bear sitting in the centre of the display, to the tiny bowl of poutine around his neck. The quintessential, iconic and personal all converge, but in layers of meaning. Each individual box is a semiotic system, of symbols and symbolized. But as a collection, they become a collage — a curation of objects and cultural identifiers, a window into the artist’s personal and cultural values.

“When these are displayed, each box will rotate, slowly,” she demonstrated. The effect is reminiscent of a series of small merry-go-rounds.

Kelly invites us to engage by showing us her unbridled delight and when we move in for closer examination, we are encouraged to seek deeper meaning from amongst the details.

She will be teaching art soon, and is looking forward to sharing binders full of curriculum development accumulated through years as a classroom art teacher. In the meantime, anyone curious to know more about “The Cheese Box Series” is encouraged to visit https://sites.google.com/view/maple-leaf-studio/home.

Around and around: holding a circus in her hands, Suzette Kelly tells stories and captures a moment on her spinning music boxes.

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