Miroslava Baltyn (Mika)
Marilyn Conner
The numbers are smaller, but the fellowship remains. Summertime is quieter time here in Sun Lakes. Those of us that brave the brutal summers often are found on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m.-? (sometime in the afternoon), at Sun Lakes Country Club in the Arts and Crafts Room painting, drawing, doodling, whatever; along with visiting, encouraging, and sharing creativeness with others.
Stop by. Join us and stay cool. Take a chance and see if there could be an artist in you. We are a diverse and interesting group. Come join us! If you have any questions contact Susan Plousek at 480-840-4920.
Repeat article on an amazing person who belongs to Desert Artists Club, Miroslava Baltyn:
My name is Miroslava Baltyn. Here, they call me Mika.
In 1965 I left Poland heading to Vienna, Austria. I reunited with my boyfriend, got married in Vienna and together we immigrated to America. After one month we relocated to Chicago. Both my sons were born there.
My husband got a job and I was taking care of our children. After five years of a break from work I got full time employment at different Chicago engineering companies working as a draftsmen in civil eng., structural sect., urban planning and art graphics. I worked there 21 years and am most proud of the last 12; I was working as assistant architect.
My husband and I retired in 2001. We moved to Sun Lakes in 2003. He passed away two years later.
My art background: Graduating in architectural major requires the architect to do free hand sketches and drawings. Under supervision of the art professor, students perform free hand compositions in crayons, charcoal and ink. Plein air, city and urban, was included as also nude studies from live models. Color media tempera on paper. Living in Sun Lakes’ active senior community, I had the opportunity to join watercolors and pastel classes.
In 2014 I joined Desert Artist’s Club. I needed to be in contact with other creative people/artists; having the possibility to see other artists’ work and learn from other peoples’ experience. Belonging to the Desert Artists group gives me a chance to learn new techniques, such as oil painting.
My work is done in pastels, watercolors, quash, acrylic and ink. Recently I have started to work with oil. Besides the portraits of my family members and their pets, mostly I do landscapes of our beautiful state of Arizona, where colors are so vibrant and sun so bright.