Mary Schliep of Grand Marais at Norsk Hostfest in Minot, North Dakota. Schliep received a Merit Award at this year’s Scandinavian festival. She is holding the award, a colorful Dala horse.
Multi-talented Mary Schliep of Grand Marais earned accolades at the 2015 Norsk Hostfest for her booth filled with exquisite rosemal pieces. Schliep received a lovely and fitting trophy—a bright red Scandinavian dala horse, about one-foot tall, painted with a distinctive rosemal pattern.
Schliep has been attending the Scandinavian celebration in Minot, North Dakota for 20 years, first taking part with her husband, Jim, and an accordion club. In addition to her painting talents, Mary is an accomplished accordionist. The Schlieps have recorded a number of CDs together.
Schliep began selling her pieces in the Norsk Hostfest hall after mastering several types of the Norwegian painting, which translates to “rose painting.” She has studied with 11 gold medalist rosemal instructors, tinkering with the six different styles of rosemal, but finding that she most enjoys Valdres, Grubansdahl and especially Telemark. The different styles are named after the geographical region where they originated.
Schliep has traveled far and wide to learn rosemaling, spending time at the Vesterheim Norwegian- American Museum in Decorah, Iowa and for two years making once a week trips to learn from Caroline Tourgeson of Two Harbors.
Schliep said she became interested in rosemaling after her father came back to Minnesota from a trip to Norway with a rosemal adorned tine—a bentwood oval box.
She set out to master the art of rosemaling and now not only creates her own intricately painted pieces ranging from exquisite Christmas ornaments, small tine boxes and decorative plates to clocks, trunks and even benches. She is assisted by her musical partner/husband Jim who crafts the wood pieces for her to paint.
Schliep now shares her love of rosemaling at North House Folk School in Grand Marais, teaching the Valdres and her favorite, Telemark techniques. For information about rosemal classes with Schliep, visit the folk school course catalog at www.northhouse.org.
Schliep will also be at the North Country Creations Bazaar at the Schroeder Town Hall on Saturday, November 21 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
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