By Emily Granholm
Monica Ann (below) created Morven Road Studio with the idea to refinishing furniture in the most unanticipated way – hand-painted fine art that becomes part of your daily life in your home, like a new family member.
Think about, say, that china cabinet in your dining room that holds your mom’s wedding china. You walk by it every day without a second thought. Now imagine your favorite painting – the one you know only as a wall hanging – wrapping around that china cabinet like a colorful hug. That’s Monica’s concept: With detailed hand painting and a meticulous attention to the details, that china cabinet can be a piece of art that commands the room, becoming a conversation piece and an even more special one-of-a-kind piece of furniture.
Monica is an acrylic/mixed media artist of five years. Her passion for replicating the Masters’ artworks from canvas to a three-dimensional platform was sparked by a desire to dress up a small old table into something unique for her home. That started her journey as an artist, and she now specializes in reproduction across all styles of art. She’s drawn to the forms of the furniture and tries to use color, technique and style to transform it into a piece of living, functional art.
She’s self-taught, with a heavy influence from her German grandfather and father who both ensured she was well versed in the famous artworks. Her favorite inspirations currently are Vladimir Kush, Picasso’s 1905-1922 time period and Toulouse-Lautrec, but she still reaches to other artists for inspiration. She’s participated in many fine art shows in the Chicago area and has many works in private collections throughout the Midwest.
Since 2017 Monica and her husband Michael have made Wadesboro their permanent home, after many years in LA and Chicago. They’re enjoying a quiet life with their two rescue dogs over by City Pond.
She welcomes custom work and special requests, and is happy to welcome anyone into the studio upon request.