Local Art Seen: Natalie Salminen Rude @ Studio Haiku

I first began to notice Natalie Salminen Rude's work in encaustic and oils at some point in 2017, at Lizzard's Gallery downtown. The effects she was creating through layering and colorations were at times like disembodied ghosts, not in appearance but in that sense that you weren't quite sure how she was achieving this. The soothing colors, the exquisite details and the sense that there is something more that you're missing all make for engaging art.

Just under a year ago I visited her Studio Haiku up on Woodland Avenue, and felt a nudge to revisit again this spring to see how her vision has progressed and hear more stories. We talked about where inspiration comes from and how great work is something akin to giving birth, in the sense that you carry it inside you and how painful it can be to deliver.

Photo by Liz Pawlik

Natalie shared a story about a show she did in Mexico where she periodically teaches. She had produced a number of pieces but had no theme. How the theme emerged seemed nothing short of miraculous, an answer to prayer.

Like many artists in the region, becomning immersed in the creative flow requires learning how to find that ideal work-life balance. Natalie is a wife and mother of three. Her imagination and the visions she would like to pursue exceed her available time, but the fire is burning and she's enjoying the dream of bringing new possibilities to fruition.

Related Links
Studio Haiku, Natalie Salminen Rude's Poetic Artspace
Studio Haiku Website

Studio Haiku: Natalie Salminen Rude Creates a Poetic Artspace

Monday afternoon I finally made it to Natalie Salminen Rude's gallery and studio on Woodland Avenue. I learned last fall that the local artist who writes haiku poetry and works in encaustic media had opened a space there but my first effort to find it proved futile the stand alone building lacking in signage at the time. She's aware of the signage deficiency and you'll soon find it easier to locate. Till then, she can be found in the fourth building past the stop sign where Snow White used to be. That is, there are three small buildings, a driveway and then her space. Park across the street.

It was at Lizzard's Gallery in Downtown Duluth where I first saw Natalie's encaustic designs. Encaustic is a method of applying layers of heated beeswax into which pigments have been infused. The nature of the material also produces some fascinating designs when an artist uses collage imagery, embedding images within the wax layers.

During our visit I discovered that the artist also likes to break up her winters by teaching a class in Cabo at the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Anyone looking for a mid-winter break who wishes simultaneously to learn new art techniques?

She calls her space Studio Haiku. The artist is also a poet whose interest in haiku has resulted in her production of "art cards" featuring haiku and photography. She's written hundreds of the 17-syllable Japanese short-form poems, which are offered for sale as an underpriced product produced in collaboration with her husband, a local pastor.

Some of her work and items in her studio pay homage to her Finnish roots. She also paints and finds other channels for her creative spirit.

As you might expect, there's a peaceful quality to the space. If the opportunity arises, I'll attempt to share a more extensive interview with Ms. Salminen Rude, as her time permits. 

The pictures here were taken earlier this week. She continues to have work at Lizzard's, where you can get a taste for the effervescence of her designs.

Related Links
Her interview in Perfect Duluth Day
Her Website

Detail from the above. Early dawn, peach sunrise. Bright future on the horizon.

The Letter Q: one image from her wall of alphabet designs.

The materials... just add heat, love and imagination.

A snapshot of her inspiration wall.

Meantime art goes on all around you. Engage it.