Cincinnati artist
Doris Wants Her Art To Help Souls Sing
Through her acrylic painting, Doris Schnetzer says, she helps soul sing.
Doris calls her art, medicine paintings, because she thinks of them as a wellness tool. Her intention when she sits down with brush in 
her hand is to help people reach a goal, ease the burden of a health challenge, inspire employees of an organization, or either add energy or calmness to day.
“My intention is for the joy that I feel painting to be contagious and to brighten the space around my art-creations,” she said.
It all started with her Aha! Moment. She was working office jobs in spaces void of art, and began creating colorful paintings that brightened her day. “It just struck me that the art I create can help people feel better.”
With her experience using Quantum-Touch, LIIFT and Reiki, this seemed like a natural extension. “To link this with art, it became clear that creating medicine paintings is a way to assist people and organizations on a positively transformative journey.”
please click here to visit her website.
When she isn’t doing her art, Doris enjoys dancing, writing poems, listening to music and walks in the woods. Among her secret dreams are owning a cello, having her own art studio, learning to belly dance well enough to perform, and visiting Spain where she can try flamenco dance.
You can meet Doris Friday, May 3, from 6 to 11 pm at the Art Academy of Cincinnati’s 150th Anniversary block party (1200 block of Jackson Street) in downtown Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine. Her public engagement activity is Inner Child Connection for Adults which includes activities and Inner Child art for sale. Other artists and performers are engaging with attendees, too.
The free event will feature musical performances by Diane Coffee, Ronin Halloway, Knotts, PHYSCO, and Aziza Love of Triiibe. The Parking Lot Experiment (by Wave Pool) will be in the ArtWorks parking lot.
Attendees will also enjoy Cincinnati’s first modular art pod exhibit thanks to the support of a Catalyzing Impact Grant from ArtsWave. 30 local artists, organizations, students and alumni will create 8’x9’ art pod structures that will be strung together to create an interactive exhibit. The exhibit will be housed within 8,000 sq. ft. of the college’s campus that will be lit up by Lightborne. Also activating the space will be DJ COCO, a fashion show by Lindsey Whittle and an AMSR performance by Crystal Tubes.
Neighborhood vendors from Over-the-Rhine will be selling their wares alongside Art Academy students. Food will be available for purchase from Ché and Red Sesame Korean BBQ with 3 Points Urban Brewery providing a special AAC 150 brew.
This eclectic mix of music and artwork is all part of celebrating the Art Academy’s continuing commitment to creativity and innovation.
CINspirational People: Mara McCalmont
CINspirational People is a feature of Good Things Going Around profiling diverse people of Greater Cincinnati, what inspires them, and what is inspiring about them. You can read more profiles by clicking on the link at the top of the blog. Do you know someone to suggest? Please reach out. Thanks!
Mara McCalmont is a gifted artist in Cincinnati who specializes in capturing the hearts, souls and personalities of beloved pets. On her website, she says, “I have been endeared to animals and nature my whole life and have been involved with many charities dedicated to their protection including Pets in Need,UCAN, SPCA, 
Three Sisters Pet Rescue, Recycled Doggies and numerous other organizations. I have even drawn beside John Ruthevan in support of the Cincinnati Nature Center.” She lives with her husband, Paul, and Zoe, her Weimaraner of perpetual motion.
GTGA: How did you come to choose dogs (animals) as the focal point of your art?
Mara: Animals are fascinating and extraordinarily beautiful. It’s a challenge to capture, in two-dimension, the softness of their fur, the quirkiness of their body language and most importantly, the soul and personality that their eyes portray. They cannot speak and communicate through those eyes. The eyes always come first in my paintings. Only after I am satisfied with them can I continue with the rest of the portrait.
GTGA: We’d love to learn of how your art has touched lives. Can you give us an example?
A: Well, when big macho men cry… that’s always a sign that I’ve done my job well! Recently I was commissioned to paint a family dog, Riley that had passed away unexpectedly leaving two teenage children devastated. The mother was hesitant to ask me to memorialize him, as she wasn’t sure of what the children’s reaction would be. They were thrilled and said “I got him spot on” and they felt ” he is still with us every day, now”. They place tiny treasures from their adventures next to his portrait, which hangs above where his bed once was, and the Mom truly feels that it has helped in their healing process.
There is no better reward from my work!
GTGA: What is something people might not know about you?
Mara: A favorite quote of mine is from G. B. Shaw: “Animals are my friends, and I do not eat my friends!”
My husband and I are long-time vegetarians and believe there is nothing better that you can do for the animals, of course, yourself and for the betterment of the planet.
GTGA: Tell us about a challenge that you have overcome and how it impacted you.
Mara: I had my own small business for 32 + years in advertising and graphic design, specializing in print materials. I found myself, virtually overnight, in a field
that was becoming nearly obsolete with the invasion of web and social media. In my late 50’s I had to make some hard choices about the rest of my life. I had always wanted to pursue painting more seriously than a hobby and thanks to the support of my husband… and his steady engineering paycheck… I decided to jump in both brushes drawn!
It took several years of hard work, practice and honing my style before I started seeing the recognition and acceptance of my work. I still have a long way to go, but feel I am finally on my way!
GTGA: What are some of your simple pleasures?
Mara: I get immense enjoyment from nature whether it be a walk in the woods, tending my gardens, or enjoying an incredible sunset. It never ceases to amaze me of the variety of beauty that surrounds us and that we sometimes walk past everyday and forget to take notice. There is no bad mood, in my opinion, that a butterfly, falling leaf or chirp of a wren wouldn’t change for the better.
GTGA: What is a motto you live by?
Mara: That it’s never too late to start anew. If you dedicate yourself, work diligently, love what you are doing… your passion will show through and eventually gain the respect and acceptance of others.
GTGA: What is one of your pet peeves?
Mara: The perception that art is fun and “comes easy to you”. Yes, I have a talent and enjoy what I do, but art is hard work. It has taken a lifetime of practice, learning to work with the mediums, and countless hours of failures to produce a worthy painting. Yes, this painting might have taken me 5 hours to produce… plus 10 years of self-education and trial and error.
GTGA: Do you do any volunteer work?
Mara: I’ve donated commissions for fund-raising to many local animal non-profits including, SPCA, Recycled Doggies, Three Sisters Rescue and UCAN,
For the last couple years, I have been involved with Pets in Need, which is an organization that allows for low -cost veterinary care to low-income families, a much-needed service and the only one of its kind in Greater Cincinnati. They provide the necessary care often needed to allow beloved pets to remain in their homes rather than be surrendered to a shelter.
GTGA: What is the best advice you have received?
Mara: Actions speak louder than words. Every time I sell a painting or receive a commission, it’s a confirmation of my talent and pushes me to be a bit better when I go back in the studio. Artists are extremely critical of their own work and never feel that they are good enough. Every time I am successful, it’s a “pat on the back” confidence- building push to continue what I am doing… even better than before.
GTGA: How would you like for others to describe you?
Mara: That I am creative, persistent, funny and was as good to fellow humans as I am to the other creatures with whom we share this beloved planet.
#GoodThingsCincy #CINspiration
A Husband’s Love Portrayed Through Art
Magno Relojo is one of Cincinnati’s extremely talented fine artists. He also happens to be a beautiful human being all around. I have known him and his wife, Patty for years since the days when I took dance lessons. (Patty’s mother is one of my CINspirational People.)
Magno posted an image to his Facebook page recently of a very personal painting he just finished. It is a portrait of Patty. But more than that, it is a story of courage, determination, strength, and love. Patty is a cancer survivor. Magno wasn’t able to work on his piece during her fight but he has completed it now. Below is the painting, and below that is Magno’s message that he shared on Facebook.
“…I really don’t have to remind myself about the time my wife had to go thru her battle with breast cancer. But I saw a person that is courageous and strong at the same time fighting this ugly disease. I wanted to paint her then but did not have the courage at that time.
In this painting, there is a little sadness in her eyes which is in contrast with the beautiful blooming flowers that surround her. These flowers represent all those beautiful people that supported her and were there by her side fighting for her…it has been three years.”
– Magno
CINspirational People: Pam Kravetz
CINspirational People is a feature of Good Things Going Around profiling diverse people of Greater Cincinnati, what inspires them, and what is inspiring about them. You can read more profiles by clicking on the link at the top of the blog. Do you know someone to suggest? Please reach out. Thanks!
Today we are featuring Pam Kravetz.
As a visual artist, Pam is known, respected and admired regionally and nationally with more than 50 art exhibitions and installations. Pam’s work has a magical way of bringing out your smile. She is also a national board certified teacher with a career spanning twenty years and has twice been awarded Teacher of the Year. Pam teaches an after school program at Uptown Arts, a free arts program for inner city elementary children.
We asked Pam a few questions.
GTGA: What is something about yourself that people may not know about you?
Pam: There are a few things that I think people would be surprised to know about me, sometimes I even surprise myself!. One is that I am a rule follower! Yep, I know, I know hard to believe. I drive the speed limit, I don’t cut in line, I like order! Even though I am driven by chaos and thrive on crazy! Something else many people don’t know about me is that I am a high school art teacher. I have been teaching at Harrison High School for 23 years and love it! One more thing – I love scary movies and I am addicted to the SyFy channel, anything from Sharknado to Blade to Shawn of the Dead. My artwork is time consuming and labor intensive to create, so I sit down and turn on Syfy and work away!
GTGA: Can you describe your art?
Pam: I’m a mural makin’, street paintin’ quilt sewin’, yarnbombin’, curatin’, flashmobin’, tutu wearin’ rootin’ tootin’ art monster.
photo credit Margy Waller
My artwork is somewhere between Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory and Sex in the City. Whimsical, colorful, full of pattern and lust for life! It is sometimes snarky, funny, heart on my sleeve self portraits that tell a simple story that on the surface seems light hearted, but with a closer look it is touching, honest and sometimes a little heart breaking. My art is what it is – it is in your face, up close and personal, no reading between the lines view into my own microcosm of the universe. I make larger than life sized marionette puppets that the viewer activates, I make narrative quilts, I work collaboratively with a group of fantastic artists to create live interactive installations. From working with the yarn bombing performance art group The BombShells of Cincinnati, to body painters, dancers, visual artist and designers to create an installation. I love to work together to create art and experiences that I can’t do alone!
Viewing my art is not a spectator sport, the viewer is encouraged to interact, become part of the art, to be engaged. The viewer activates the art and makes the pieces come to life.
GTGA: Where does your creative inspiration come from?
Pam: My creativity and art is inspired by the beauty and the chaos of the everyday. From a conversation with a friend, to a cupcake I received on the way to a road trip, to watching my husband Craig’s beautiful daughter’s Erin and Jill making pickles, to an insecurity, to a shade of MAC lipstick. Nothing is too big or too small for me to explore using my art. My mom says, “Pam’s artwork is cheaper than therapy!” My work is about me and my journey through life’s crazy obstacles and surprises from
GTGA: Tell us about one of your projects, what it has meant to you and its impact on others.
Pam: I have been so fortunate through out my art career to have created art that have been life enriching experiences for me. My first show at a museum, The Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center UnMusuem, “The Beatuy Queen, The Super Hero and The Peanut” was one of the first monumental, life changing times for me. I loved creating it, working with my husband Craig to work out the engineering and having my mom and sister and friends help me make my vision a reality. Then, watching children and grown-ups alike interacting with the puppets, reading the tex and stories, laughing, learning, engaging was phenomenal. I used my experience as an art teacher to create an installation that engaged children, taught them about self esteem in a playful non threatening way and showed me that I can make a dream a reality. Showing at the CAC was a HUGE dream of mine since I was a docent there in the 80’s. Flash forward to last year… Being commissioned by the CAC to be part of their 75th Anniversary celebration. Creating CAC-tv and having a ‘starring role” in the show! Then creating two 50’ feet memory quilts was a pretty mind blowing experience. Working with artists, history, dancers, body painters, the CAC staff and the community to create both the performance art and the narrative quilts was amazing. At the Memory Quilt unveiling I met one of the three founding women of the Modern Art Society in 1923 (now the CAC) and she was so kind, and so gracious and so excited that the history of the CAC was being created in a quilt by a group of women artists. We laughed and cried together! It was a pretty special interaction.
GTGA: What is your greatest reward from what you do?
Pam: And when my parents and family are at my shows (they never miss one) and seeing how happy they are by the art I create. That is my greatest reward. My son Max, has been by my side, inspiring me. We actually had a show togheter when he was 11! He sold more art than I did. I am so happy that he thinks that the friends that I make art with are amazing, and loves to come home to us working on ideas and art in our kitchen.
GTGA: What is one of the greatest pieces of advice you have received?
Pam: From my kindergarten teacher that saw I was struggling with my “ABCs,” she let me use the painting easel everyday. She encouraged me to do what I loved and was good at doing, creating. Then again in high school, my art teacher encouraged me to create, make art, and honor the person I am.
GTGA: What advice do you have for others about life?
Pam: Find your passion, something that belongs only to you! No matter what your life, and career choice is. Working in the garden, painting a picture, working on cars, taking dance classes. Feed your soul, do what you love and do it the best you can.
