Brighton-Area Artist Spotlight: Marie Rust

Marie Rust grew up on the shores of Whitmore Lake. Always fascinated by the natural world, she took up realistic wildlife drawing in eighth grade.

“I brought in an advertisement for the Sierra Club with a big cat on it and said, 'I want to draw that!'” Rust said.

Under the direction of her art teacher, Rust learned how to reproduce the image by breaking it into shapes. Her finished drawing ended up in that year's "Who's Who Among American High School Students."

By the time she was in high school, Rust had taken up photography in addition to drawing. Though she was encouraged to do so, Rust didn't pursue a career in art.

“Someone—maybe my father—said you can't make it as an artist,” Rust said. “And I wasn't good at handling criticism.”

Instead, Rust attended Eastern Michigan University, where she jumped from major to major before dropping out. After working for the Humane Society for a handful of years, Rust enrolled in photography and marketing courses at Washtenaw Community College. She found a job at a custom photo lab in Ann Arbor, where she worked for a number of years. As more and more photographers turned toward digital photography, however, photo processing became obsolete. Rust was laid off in 2004.

“I was 37 years old and didn't have many options, so I said, 'I've got this other thing I've been doing for 25 years. Let's see how it goes,'” Rust said.

Determined to turn her lifelong drawing hobby into a career, Rust, along with fine woodworker Lisa Ramlow, purchased a house, studio and several acres of land in Pinckney in 2006. A month later, they met mixed-media artist Lori Taylor. Taylor soon joined Rust and Ramlow on their property in Pinckney, and the three women founded Bear Track Studios, LLC.

According to Rust, the business is going well so far.

"We were told it takes 10 years to establish an art business because, instead of creating a specific product for a certain market, we had to find a market for a product," Rust said.

Of course, there is always strength in numbers. With an illustrator/photographer, woodworker, and mixed-media artist on hand, Bear Tracks Studios offers a variety of products.

“It helps to be diversified,” Rust said. “We support each other.”

Rust said she's happy to have begun a new chapter in life. Aside from her involvement with several volunteer organizations, Rust focus on art full-time. During the spring, summer, and fall, she participates in a variety of art shows, an aspect of the business she especially enjoys.

“At shows, I get to talk to people. There's a lot of shared experiences and storytelling. You don't get that one-on-one, that feedback in a gallery,” Rust said.

Still drawn to the natural world, Rust gets most of her inspiration from her own backyard, which borders on the Brighton Recreation Area. As a result, much of Rust's work features animals and birds that can be found in the Brighton area.

“I've become a birder because of my art work. Birdwatching is a huge industry, and I've learned that birds sell best at shows,” Rust said.

Of all the subjects she's tackled, big cats are still her favorite.

“There's an intelligence that goes with being at the top of the food chain,” Rust said. “As humans, we can relate to that.”