Unknowingly, Maurice Sendak, author of the classic children’s tale “Where the Wild Things Are," described the journey of local artist Marjie Risk from a grounded water conservation career to ultimate creativity when he wrote, “…and she set off through night and day, and in and out of weeks, and almost over a year to where the wild things are.”
Marjie began her journey where the wild things are in a very practical way growing up in the Tempe, Arizona area. During her youth, she was constantly fascinated with Arizona’s vast, open environments, the brilliance of the sunrise and sunsets, the life in a small puddle of water, and the wide variety of wildlife and natural resources from region to region. Marjie claims her creative sensibilities are attributed to "My dad, uncle, and brother were always tinkering, collecting, and creating, which influenced what I saw as possible in fixing and creating new items."
Marjie carried her love of the environment into young adulthood by earning her Bachelors's (BS) and Master's (MS) degrees in Environmental Resources from Arizona State University. Soon after graduation, Marjie set off to future horizons, working in a water efficiency and conservation career. Lucky for many of us living in the Southwest, she played a significant role in water conservation for over 25 years at the local, state, and national levels. In 2009, Marjie left Arizona for an environmental job in Texas. One year later, after experiencing four life-threatening occurrences within three months, Marjie found herself returning home to Arizona. It became painfully clear that the Universe whispered, "There must be more to life than just having everything you thought you wanted.”
The 'Wild Things' emerged from the recesses of Marjie’s past in surprising ways. She had always found her inspiration in the life and energy of Arizona’s natural beauty, sparkling natural waters, gleaming copper, and the deep blue/green hues of its turquoise specimens. She decided to rediscover her creative roots in the rich terra cotta tones of the earth; Marjie resumed her work and discovery with ceramic and metal creations that were always a comfort to her. Strengthened by the encouragement of friends, who suggested she take advantage of her creative side, she turned to her art full-time. This time, Marjie’s focus would be in 'sustainable art,' a concept she had explored extensively since childhood, creating items from found objects and continued an interest in throughout her environmental resources career. Her dedication to sustainable art is a creative pursuit and a mission to inspire others to see the beauty in recycled materials and the importance of environmental conservation.
Today, Marjie, incorporates her background in engineering and natural resource development, to create compelling sculptural figures. Her talent for bringing to life a variety of whimsical sculptures and creatures astonishes her new customers and long-time collectors. Her pieces combine ceramics, scrap metals, copper, and steel, with the added interest of turquoise and other natural stones. Marjie has exhibited in Vail and Breckenridge, Colorado, Paso Robles and Morro Bay, California, as well as a number of other venues throughout the Southwest. Marjie, is a member of the Sonoran Arts League and shows in Cave Creek, Arizona during the Hidden in the Hills Studio Tour each November. Her business is Same Moon Creations, a connection to her grandmother, who said, "Wherever we go in life, we are always connected by the fact we look upon the same moon." Get connected with mixed media, sculpture artist Marjie Risk’s imaginative spirit, unlimited creativity and sense of fun, in the place where only the things you want to happen.
Email: samemooncreations@gmail.com
Website: www.samemooncreations.com
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