Artist Interview: Miranda Pelletier - 2024 Painted Piano Artist
From July 1st - October 1st, the Painted Piano Project will be displaying 3 pianos in downtown Lodi!
The painted piano project is a collaboration between Sayla Music Academy, the Lodi Arts Commission, and the vibrant ats community of Lodi. Pianos are donated to Sayla Music Academy and artists are picked to paint them with exciting patterns and themes of iconic local imagery. Local organizations sponsor the pianos which allows the artists to receive compensation and for them to be placed in public with the help of the Lodi Arts Commission.
The sponsor of this piano is the Hutchins St. Square Foundation.
Once finished, pianos are then placed in public throughout the downtown area for anyone to play! This project is an exciting way to enrich downtown Lodi with a harmonious collaboration between artists and musicians!
We would like to introduce our first artist and tell you a little bit more about them!
Miranda Pelletier
Tell us about yourself:
My name is Miranda Pelletier and I was born and raised in Lodi. I have a small side business called Scent of the Pine Design, where I do custom art such as watercolor pet portraits, chalkboard signage, calligraphy, etc. I've been with my husband, Boston, for 11 years and we have a dog named Rue and two cats, Tux and Kirk. We both love the outdoors and nature which is what inspired my idea for the piano project.
How long have you been an artist? What are some other projects you have worked on?
I have been an artist for as long as I can remember. I have photos of myself around 5 years old painting on my easel in our backyard. I've done everything from pet portraits to calligraphy to a nursery mural for my niece to custom wedding invitations/signage. I've also been a knitter for about 7 years and I've been sewing since high school.
What inspired you to become an artist?
Being an artist has always been something that comes naturally to me.
Describe the themes and style of your art. Do you gravitate towards one style or medium? What is your favorite medium to create with?
I'm very inspired by music and nature. I love to do pieces that incorporate lyrics and the feeling of a certain song. My main medium would have to be painting, whether it's acrylic, watercolor or gouache and ink. Right now, I've really loved working with acrylics on different surfaces.
Who are your biggest artistic influences?
Oh, it's such a long list but I'll just name a few. Obviously the classics, like Carravagio. Charly Malpass and Phoebe Cornog are both muralists based in California. Justin O'Neal, Dongni Hou, Yuliia Fomina, Francisco Fonseca and Dan Lee are all artists I've found through Instagram and they're all incredible in their own way.
Tell us about your painted piano design. What inspired it?
Mainly nature but this quote by John Muir was the main inspiration:
"Wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love."
This quote in particular means alot to me since it was read at our wedding ceremony. It also made me think about how nature makes it's own music and how music is inspired by nature itself.
What are your aspirations as an artist? What are your dreams as an artist if anything were possible?
The big dream is to have my art be a career and my main source of income. I would love to become a muralist, even on a small scale. I never want to stop doing custom signage for businesses (like restaurants, cafes and wineries) whether it's chalkboards or windows or anything just a little out of the box!
Tell us about your other hobbies and passions! What do you enjoy besides art?
I love to knit and sew as well! I mostly make garments and bags for myself but I would love to sell my bags on a larger scale one day.
How can we find more of your art? (website, social media, upcoming shows etc.) Is there anything else you want us to know?
My most current work is on Instagram under @scentofthepinedesign.
You can check out Miranda’s piano in the plaza outside Hutchins St. Square near in downtown Lodi from July 15th - October 15th!
