College students can take a lesson from Sallie Wolf, as she majored, in writing, switched to anthropology and then became an artist, incorporating all three of her interests. Not the typical career path for most people, but then again Wolf is not most people.

At a young age, the Oak Park resident was fascinated with art of the Native American culture, which marked the beginning of an interest in art and anthropology.

As a kid, I loved arts and crafts, especially Native American crafts. I wanted to make all the things they made, Wolf said. There was nature reflected in all of their artifacts.

With the guidance of her father, Barton Lloyd, who was a minister and career counselor, she began painting watercolors as a child.

My dad painted watercolors and he would take me to his workshops, she said. They treated me as an artist, it was very encouraging.

As Wolf got older her interests expanded to writing and anthropology, which she studied in college at Brown University.

I liked looking at the way people lived, especially primitive people, she said.

Children’s books

Wolf continued her interest in writing after having her two sons she was determined to write childrens books, a goal she decided early on life.

I always loved childrens books, I love that the message is everyday life is exciting, Wolf said.

Her first childrens book that she published was called Peters Trucks, a rhyming picture book about a boy who loves trucks. Her second book Truck Stuck, was published by Charlesbridge Publishing and explores the busy streets of Chicago.

I find childrens literature more satisfying than adult literature because it is so much more hopeful, she said.

Wolfs next childrens book titled The Robin Makes a Laughing Sound: A Birders Journal, is due out  spring 2010. The book combines poetry, with personal observation, journal excerpts, sketches of birds and watercolors.

As a children’s book author I get to write my own stories, Wolf said. I get to work with editors of publishing companies and get to go to schools and teach writing workshops.

However, it wasnt until the age of 39 when Wolf decided to take some art classes at the Art Institute of Chicago and return to her first love. It was the first time she could take classes that worked with her schedule.

I took the train and got to shed my mommy skin. Nobody knew me and my art spoke for itself, Wolf said.

She said the art classes revived her as she rediscovered her passion for art.

It just worked, she said. I just fell in love with art. I didnt know how intellectual and stimulating it was. I thought it was all color theory.

It took Wolf eight and half years to finish her degree, but she said the process of getting back into art and meeting other artists opened doors for her.

I liked the person I wasmy opinions mattered in art and I met all kinds of people, Wolf said. Art brings people together across races, genders, age and international boundaries.

It was at this time that she discovered a contemporary artist named Alfred Jensen, whos work includes pattern-type information similar to calendars, that inspired Wolf.

I realized painting can be information, she said. His art incorporated words and patterns. I couldnt understand them, but they moved me.

It wasnt long until Wolf began creating her own similar patterns in her Moon Project. The project started when she was looking for the moon one night and couldnt find it and continued looking for it nights after.

It gives me a sense of being grounded, Wolf said of looking for the moon. I think of the moon as a friend.

She saw the moon during the day and night and used her arm, almost as a compass, to figure out where the moon was in relation to her and drew sketches of it.

I made up rules in the beginning that I couldnt do research, knowing at some point people did this themselves thousand of years ago, she said.

Soon enough Wolf had created her own moon-tracking pattern that she did on daily basis. The project has last more than 14 years, the longest artist work of a single project for Wolf. Her Moon Project charts have been displayed at various exhibits and colleges.

Wolf has shared her art passion with students for more than 12 years in Oak Park Education Foundations Art Start program. She works with various elementary students and teachers planning art and writing projects that closely tie in with the classs academic curriculum.

Students are infected by her enthusiasm for the natural world and are eager to learn and incorporate it into theirs, said Deb Abrahamson, executive director of the foundation. She inspires young students to develop a personal interest in science through art and writing.

Abrahamson said Wolf makes a point to discuss each childs artwork with themfrom discussing their strengths to answering questions.

Students respond to Sallie by taking their work seriously and listening to learn from her professional experience, Abrahamson said.

Wolf said she has learned a lot in her career by creating her own path that focuses on combining her interests.

I like writing and art,” she said. “I used to think they were at odds competing against each other. Now they are both tied together.”

Click here for photos of her art work.

By Katie Leimkuehler
Triblocal.com staff reporter