There is ceaseless activity in the Upper Arlington house where Janis Mars Wunderlich lives with her husband, Philip. Usually, their five children, and often their children’s friends, are coming and going, inquiring, conversing, observing. They might be in-between school and lacrosse practice, or church and piano lessons.

There is artwork covering practically every inch of the Wunderlich home – from colorful light switch covers to cartoon-like murals on the wall. Stepping inside is like walking into the pages of an immaculately-illustrated children’s book. There is no shortage of imagination in this family, and it’s clear the creativity trickles down from 37-year-old Janis.

The artist has developed a vast collection of ceramic sculptures that have been exhibited all over the world. The inspiration behind her creations comes from her frenzied day-to-day schedule – managing a home full of children and a full-time, acclaimed art career.

Janis earned her fine arts degree from Brigham Young University and her master’s degree from Ohio State. Her experience with juggling five children, ages 4 to 16, was honed by growing up the second oldest in a family of 10. There is frequent pandemonium that often limits her time in the studio, but it is also what stimulates the wheel of creativity turning in her head. Creating art is what keeps her placid, composed.

“I often wonder how many trips one person can possibly make to the high school in one day, and there are plenty of times I think I’m beyond this next pile of laundry,” she says. “But a lot of my imagery comes from believing it’s OK to put your emphasis on the family, to make that a priority.”

It works. Janis’ art covers the universal themes of parenting: tantrums, messiness, cleaning, cooking, chores, clinginess and adolescence. Her latest work focuses on the familiar and humorous concept of “accessorizing” with children. And since her oldest has taken over the family car, Janis has found that her artistic imagery has changed accordingly.

“There is always something new. My children really inspire me. They’re so funny and imaginative. Sometimes I really do look like a playground,” Janis says. “They have taught me how to have a sense of humor. They have also taught me that the more you take on, the more you realize you can do. There is no better lesson than that.”


Many of Janis’ pieces have animal-like qualities, as she is influenced heavily by children’s literature because “it has a worldview that everyone can relate to and appreciate.” And although she draws ideas from innocent sources, such as her toddler’s table manners, she considers many of her pieces to be “dark and edgy.” Most are honest, intimate and evocative, and any parent – or non-parent – will appreciate the personal subject matter.

“(My work) is domestic and motherly, sweet and cushiony, but it’s edgy for a lot of reasons,” Janis says. “It’s therapeutic to take this life and what I do everyday and make it into art instead of it all making me crazy.”

Alicia Kelso is editor of CityScene.


Of Note ...
Janis Mars Wunderlich has had more than 70 national and international exhibitions in the past five years, from New York City to Berkeley, Calif. and Munich, Germany.

Her work is represented locally by The Sherrie Gallerie. It also is featured in permanent collections at the Canton Museum of Art; the American Museum of Ceramic Art, in Pomona, Calif.; The Mint Museum of Craft and Design, in Charlotte, N.C.; The Wustum Museum/Racine Art Museum, in Racine, Wisc.; The University of Arizona Art Museum, in Tucson, Ariz.; and The Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum, in Taipei, Taiwan; in addition to many other private and public collections.

For more information on Janis’ work, visit www.janismarswunderlich.com or www.sherriegallery.com.