Patti Salka

Art possesses Patti and always has. Painting is a spiritually nourishing experience for her. It fulfills her life-long love of art for its beautiful colors.

 

Photography is even more spiritual. She feels a deep kinship with God while discovering the details of His creation. Patti feels a need to share her discoveries with those who can't or don't get out to appreciate nature.

 

When she was on the farm as a child, her dad would point out subtle and beautiful things in nature teaching her to be keenly aware of lovely things many people completely miss. It has brought much joy to her life. As a teacher in 1st and 4th grades at Saints Peter and Paul School in Ionia, she told her students, "If you learn nothing else from me, learn how to 'see,' not just to 'look.'" When they started bringing her cool rocks and things, she knew that she had succeeded.

 

Patti has taken classes at Kendall, and from many local and nationally known artists. She paints weekly with her Studio 208 friends, who are a very close, loving group. Her education includes a BA Degree in Elementary Education from WMU, and a Masters in Elementary Education from MSU. She taught school for 25 years, but her happiness was found in teaching art, reading, Michigan history and religion. She was fortunate to receive the Odyssey Award from the Michigan History Museum in Lansing. It opened up many doors for her and caused her to love Michigan history even more.

 

She feels that her life has been blessed with strong loving relationships and with being able to live in the beautiful state of Michigan. Retirement is great, and she is trying to find enough time to dedicate to her art so she can share it with others.