Maria Schoettler graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2007 where she earned B.A. in Art Practice with an emphasis in painting. During her time at UCSC and some time thereafter, Maria pursued her love of painting the human figure and created a body of work that captures the facial expressions and body language of her many subjects, both friends and perfectly strange studio models. While Maria is still thinking about people, in recent years the content of her work has expanded to include illustrations of other, less appreciated life-forms: food and plants.
After moving to Oakland in 2007, Maria became enamored by her neighborhood farmer's market and the ritual of getting fresh food to cook every week. Feeling so inspired by all of its colors and tastes that surround her at the farmer's market, Maria began creating her own guide of what to look forward to finding at the market for every month of the year. Here in lies the history of her "Eat Local Calendar." Maria is enthusiastic about the homespun, the handmade, family dinners, storytelling, neighborhood walks and connecting with people over the table and through her artwork and theirs. Maria is always looking for projects that will connect her with her immediate community or even new contingents in far-off places.
Maria is most currently collaborating with Ambatalia textiles, www.ambatalia.com.
