Angie Thieszen Wood Stain Art

Full Artist Bio: Angie Thieszen currently lives in Millersburg, Indiana. She has come from a family line of artistic talents and studied art at Bluffton College (now Bluffton University) in Bluffton, Ohio. She has been a hobby artist most of her life involving various mediums such as watercolor, acrylic, murals, and even Etch-A-Sketch, but her wood stain art has launched her into the professional artistic world. It is a medium that combines much of her creative environment growing up with the God-given talents she possesses. Angie initially uses a camera to capture her images and then hand-draws each image onto Poplar veneered MDF wood to ensure lifelong stability. She then uses q-tips and cloths on her fingertips to “paint” the drawn images directly into the wood with wood stain. Finally, multiple layers of Polycrylic seal in and protect the piece for lasting durability. The process of making wood stain art is a challenge full of intuition, patience, experience and the willingness to learn from mistakes. She enjoys focusing her audience's attention into the realistic details of often overlooked subject matter through bold, high contrast images that are naturally softened to a classic sepia-tone look when stained into the wood. Her pieces have the ability to capture movement, stir emotions, evoke memories or even elicit change in all those who view them. Her artwork creates a statement piece for any atmosphere. Angie has won multiple awards including “Outstanding Achievement” and “Best in 2D Art” as a wood stain artist in juried Chicago Fine Art Fairs. She has also won “Best in Show” in Nappanee, Indiana. Her piece, “The Peony; Picturesque and Perishable” was chosen to be on display in the Secretary of State's office in Indianapolis for 2022. She was the featured “Pan-O-Ply Michiana” Artist of the Month in the March 2022 publication and has recorded two podcast programs about her artistic process and journey. She has enjoyed showing the public her work through a solo gallery show, several online art exhibits as well as permanent pieces displayed in her community. In 2021 she opened her first public studio and shop on the second floor of the beautiful Southgate Shopping Marketplace (27751 CR 26, Elkhart, Indiana). When she is not working on art, Angie values spending most of her time living life to the fullest with her husband and their four children. She enjoys being in nature, having deep conversations, loving on animals, and encouraging others. She is frequently motivated by the words of Wonder Woman, “You are stronger than you believe. You have greater powers than you know.” The most valuable part of her life comes from knowing that Jesus Christ is the source of that strength and power in her life.