Maren Kostrzewski
Moorhead, MN
Visual, Literary
Workshops for Adults, Workshops for Children, Demonstrate, Serve as a Juror
Maren Kostrzewski holds a BA in studio art from Concordia College. She started her business Maren Paints Joy in 2020, where she focuses on using watercolors to heal hearts, particularly working through grief. This is done through memorials, visual affirmations, and meditative coloring pages. To counter grief and help move the focus toward joy, she paints pet portraits, landscapes, books, and animals–both real and imagined. She has also illustrated a book cover for an eco-fantasy novel. Her process for pet portraits involves talking to people and learning about their experiences to find the memory that encompasses their relationship with their pet. Maren uses her own experiences to help people navigate grief, not only through painting, but also through writing. She co-authored a best selling self-help book, and she is working on a book about processing grief to complement her visual art. Maren Paints Joy uses art to house grief, focus hope, and inspire joy.
