Mickayla Poland at PA Made has a knack for bringing the outdoors inside.
Her artwork is inspired by wildlife, culture and the people of Elk County. And her workspace is, too.
The painter and graphic designer calls herself “West Coast born and PA raised.”
As you enter her home in St. Marys, PA, you enter her studio – a small foyer room with an L-shaped desk. A computer and a light sit on one side of the desk; an easel is perched on the other. The modern space is filled with natural light, provided by three large windows. Scenes of nature hang on the walls, as does a dreamcatcher.
The young artist studied graphic design at Edinboro University – but she admits her most unique technique falls outside of computer illustration.
Using old building windows, which are often donated and splattered with old stains and paint, Mickayla frosts the glass and uses acrylic paints to create lifelike images of nature and wildlife. When the sun hits the final product, the translucent quality of the painted surface gives off a stained glass aesthetic, but without the solder lines.
“Painting is something I’ve always done,” she says, explaining that she just happened to stumble on the process of painting on frosted glass.
Mickayla also creates graphic designs and illustrations celebrating entrepreneurial, conservation and natural assets in the Pennsylvania Wilds – from places like Straub Brewery to the scenes of Elk County.
Most recently, Mickayla has taken her business to a brand new level by opening PA Made & Clothing Co., a storefront that features her unique outdoors-inspired designs on a variety of apparel and merchandise. The store is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 18452 Bennetts Valley Highway, Weedville, PA 15868.
In 2021, Mickayla received the PA Wilds Champion Award for Great Design which honors an individual, business or organization that has done outstanding work to preserve, protect or enhance an area’s rural community character. She is a true advocate for the PA Wilds and the Wilds Cooperative of PA.
Learn more about Mickayla and PA Made or find a selection of her products on the PA Wilds Marketplace at ShopThePAWilds.com/pamadellc.
