From the village of Loon Lake located in the vast Canadian province of Saskatchewan, there was born a person who had a name few people knew how to pronounce, never mind spell, and some how she evolved from being a prairie chicken to becoming a creator of joyful creations using material from the elements in both physical and spiritual form.
Marlys Farn- Guillette was the product of a childhood full of colorful characters, grounded with no-nonsense love sprinkled with mis-deeds of youth and just enough zany adventure to give her a sense of seeing beyond the everyday tangibles. She’s an empath with a powerful vision for beauty and a sense for justice. With these tools that shaped her own character, she followed a light along a path which led her to the arts. She pursued an education which earned her degrees from the University of Saskatchewan…one a Bachelor of Arts Advanced which included a double major in Visual Arts and English, and the other a Bachelor of Education. Armed with a solid education, and bucking the tradition of moving further west…she moved east to New Brunswick where she pursued a career teaching high school art in St Stephen while raising her son.
Her own talents unfolded in the form of pottery and painting. Clay is her chosen medium to produce exquisite pieces, whether it be a vase, bowl, sea creature or the sea itself in the form of a foaming wave…or a creation entirely fabricated from a whim, incorporating bits and bobs of mislaid treasures found on local beaches, in an attic, barn, backyard or long forgotten dark corner in an old cellar. Her paintings reveal the breathtaking dancing lights she left behind on the prairie; some melding with spirit muses of the sea which is near to where she now resides in Calais, Maine. It’s not hard to see how her surroundings have influenced her work. The prairies with its aurora borealis and stark flat beauty…and the bold coast of Downeast Maine…both natural wonderlands rich with spiritual inspiration. Marlys’s pottery is fired via the Raku method. Sometimes she will add a piece of old glass or pottery to a project. Sometimes she will reinvent a cracked piece…giving it life despite an imperfection, following the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi. Her Raku art is truly breathtaking…every piece is a unique design and awe inspiring right down to tiny details. The iridescence found in some of the finished glazes compliment the northern light displays of color seen in her paintings. Marlys also deviates from paint and clay to dabble in mixed media creations. Using found objects along with beads, bobbles, feathers, false teeth, broken dolls or driftwood, her sense of fun puts on a funky, quirky display.
Aside from art, she had a sideline interest in the antique business over the years, so it was not unusual to see her out at yard sales and attending auctions. She had a shop which combined antiques with framing. Now, she still is involved in the framing business with her husband Larry. Their shop also serves as a small gallery for both her art as well as from others with a smattering of a few antiquities. And amidst all her creating, antiques and framing…Marlys finds joy within her own family and home. She is grandmother to two beautiful little girls who she treasures and devotes many hours of “Grandma” time, making her whole life richer and fuller. And teaching them to appreciate beauty sprinkled with fun…making her life come full circle. Yet she always finds time for a friend no matter what the circumstance may be. This is Marlys.