Avant Guardians

By Leticia Gonzales

‘Expressive art’

Emily Kretschmer never stops creating

Emily Kretschmer, who retired from her job as an adjunct university writing instructor and online writing tutor five years ago, transferred her creativity from the written word to the arts field.

“When I began making art steadily several years ago, I started calling my art ‘outsider folk art fusion,’” said Kretschmer, who is 67 and lives in St. Peter. “I also characterize it as ‘expressive art.’”

Kretschmer, who makes folk art fused with other styles, has had no training in the arts, other than her writing background. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in German language and literature from the University of Minnesota, she has a master of fine arts degree in creative writing and a graduate certificate in non-project Leadership from Minnesota State University.

Her love of art developed over the course of her many travels throughout her career.

“I traveled in Europe as a college student. After college I taught as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco,” she said. “I lived in the Twin Cities for 25 years and traveled for jobs with a circus and working with the playwright August Wilson. I hiked the island of Crete for six weeks to see the ruins and artifacts of Minoan culture. I’ve traveled to many areas of Mexico. That’s where a lot of my exposure to folk art has come from.”

Her work combines mixed-media art on paper or canvas using acrylic paints, oil pastels, inks, watercolors and collage papers. She also draws and sketches using pencil, ink and watercolor pencils. “I’d say instinct and experiential learning are the foundations of my artmaking. For techniques and methods, I keep turning to artists who share on YouTube, vlogs and blogs.” Her writing background often takes shape in some of her artwork as well. “I love magical realist literature, and I like to suggest the magical realism in my art-making,” Kretschmer said. “When I make process art, meaning I don’t plan it ahead of time, and it turns out quirky, puzzling or magical realist, I am pleased. I’ve made quite a lot of whimsical art of characters that are not entirely human nor animal.”

Kretschmer said she prefers using “soft and intense colors, rather than extremely bright or terribly dark colors.”

“I’ve made art of people and pets I’ve known or known of whom I admire or love. Elements of nature, including planets, stars, moon, trees, rivers, figure into abstract landscape pieces I’ve made.”

Kretschmer spends about three to four hours a day on her art, six days a week, sometimes less. Much of her work is shared online through blogging or Instagram.

“I believe in art for everyone because the art-making experience can be transformative. I make art for the experience, not the product, but if I like or love the product, that’s satisfying.