I’m an artist and speaker…

“Too many times, we say no to things in our life that seem overwhelming or too hard. But once I began to say yes rather than “no” my whole life changed, said artist Marlee Gazelka. 12 years ago, Gazelka chose to say “yes” to following her passion for painting. Today, she is a thriving artist, teacher, mentor, and speaker. Being creative was always a love of hers; however, she didn’t always have time for it. Gazelka said. “Growing up, I was very fond of art, and I was almost always hanging out in the art studios  throughout middle and high school.” After getting married, One of her goals was to raise a family.
With five children, she didn’t make a lot of time for painting. In 2012, she brought art back to the surface of her life with more focus when she stumbled upon the online art mentor Matt Tommey. She read his book: Unlocking the Heart of the Artist, The book guides readers in identifying and overcoming common roadblocks that many artists face. “It’s about trusting the goodness of God, and stop saying ‘no’ to things that would otherwise be an opportunity,” Gazelka said.

In 2015, she won a People’s Choice Award at the Taste of the Lakes fundraiser, held annually at Grand View Lodge and sponsored by Minnesota Monthly magazine. As the winner of the wine label contest. two of her paintings were featured on more than 3,000 bottles of wine sold at Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, Minnesota. Gazelka also entered two more paintings in a juried exhibit. As a chosen finalist, her work was displayed at the Laura H. Miles Gallery in the Minnetonka Center for the Arts.

If you want to hear more about my artistic journey….