When families go on vacation, they often pick up a few souvenirs and mementos from the trip. Woodbury resident Connie Kasella brought home more than a few trinkets during spring break in April 2009 after visiting the ancient Mayan pyramids, temples and ruins in Chichen Itza near Play del Carmen, Mexico.

“At the last minute I decided to throw a sketch pad and colored pencils into my carry-on bag just in case I had some extra time to doodle,” says Kasella. “I had been having frequent, vivid dreams where I was painting and drawing, and it just wouldn’t let go. On the plane, I drew my first colored pencil creation, just a silly little octopus guy. My two kids loved it. From there the images just began to flow and they haven’t stopped.”     

Kasella’s first few pieces were heavily influenced by Mayan culture and architecture with geometric and abstract shapes in bright, vibrant colors, yet combining a touch of reality in each. In many pieces, she starts with a signature upward left swoosh, but she never really knows exactly how something will turn out. “I don’t set out to draw a specific object; the pieces just seem to flow and evolve until they are done,” she says.    

Enter serendipity. Shortly after the Mexico trip, Kasella was sitting on a bench sketching inside the Como Park Conservatory. Neal Gast, from Andover, Minn., was touring with his family. “As we walked by Connie, my wife looked down and became smitten with her work,” says Gast. “I let the family move forward and looped back to make arrangements with Connie to buy her work as a surprise Mother’s Day gift. It now hangs on our two-story art wall and we plan to buy more.”        

During that same Como outing, Connie glanced up from her bench and noticed a piece of intriguing art. Imagine her shock when the artist turned out to be a long-lost friend from high school art class. The two actually had talked about attending art school together; her friend went, Kasella didn’t. Their reunion occurred a few weeks later at her friend’s St. Paul studio. Ironically, this friend is very knowledgeable about the Mayan calendar, art and artifacts. Upon seeing Kasella’s work, she became convinced that Kasella is being channeled by spirits of ancient Chichen Itza Mayans. Hmm. Whatever the case, something is working well.    

In 18 months, Kasella has produced more than 125 original pieces. Many have been displayed in local art crawls and juried art shows. She is also exploring acrylics and finding success. In fact, her piece Deep Reflections was juried in the 2010 Minnesota State Fair’s Fine Arts building. From approximately 2,200 entries, hers was one of 400 chosen. Not bad for her first attempt in acrylic.           

How does a busy mom of two young teens and a 21-year-old stepson, who also works fulltime as a successful commercial real estate management executive, find time to churn out all of this amazing art? “My pencil work is portable, so my bag is always with me,” says Kasella. “I use downtime over lunch, or while waiting for kids at karate, at night on my porch, or at the cabin when I want to unwind. My family is supportive and excited about my new venture. It’s great that the kids are getting old enough to help out around the house and yard.”  

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The future is wide open for Connie Kasella. New opportunities to showcase her art or create commissioned pieces emerge weekly. Visit kaselladesigns.com to view her prints and other products.     


--By Sandy Swanson