| Many artists are inspired by the chaos in their daily routines. But perhaps few experience the same type of daily bedlam as Columbus ceramicist Janis Mars Wunderlich. Wunderlich admits she’s lucky to get more than 20 minutes at a time in her home studio. She’s typically too busy accounting for her five children, their constantly-coming-and-going friends, their music lessons, sports practices, church meetings, and everything in-between. It is obvious, however, that Wunderlich is artistically stimulated by her experiences. Her sculptures are lifted straight out of the pages of a children’s book, often featuring human situations with animal-like characters found in such literature. “Children’s illustrations have a worldview that everyone can relate to and appreciate,” she says. | 
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Alicia Kelso is the managing editor of CityScene Magazine, which covers arts and entertainment in the Central Ohio area.
Janis Mars Wunderlich, Baby Weight. Courtesy of the artist.
Many artists are inspired by the chaos in their daily routines. But perhaps few experience the same type of daily bedlam as Columbus ceramicist Janis Mars Wunderlich. Wunderlich admits she’s lucky to get more than 20 minutes at a time in her home studio. She’s typically too busy accounting for her five children, their constantly-coming-and-going friends, their music lessons, sports practices, church meetings, and everything in-between.
It is obvious, however, that Wunderlich is artistically stimulated by her experiences. Her sculptures are lifted straight out of the pages of a children’s book, often featuring human situations with animal-like characters found in such literature. “Children’s illustrations have a worldview that everyone can relate to and appreciate,” she says. “And animal imagery makes it generic. If I see human forms, then I immediately think of human characteristics—if it’s too fat or thin, male or female, or Caucasian or African American.”
Her pieces are attractive, detailed, creative, and even evocative. For parents, they’re relevant, humorous, and deeply personal. Although she draws ideas from innocent sources, such as her toddler’s table manners or her teenager’s driving lessons, she considers many of her pieces to be “dark and edgy.” There is a lot of honesty and intimacy in the finished pieces. Wunderlich’s characters—both subtly and blatantly—depict themes such as raising emotional coming-of-agers alongside tantrum-filled toddlers, accessorizing with children, and perpetually crossing off chores around the house. “There are plenty of times I think I’m beyond this next pile of laundry, or this next trip to the school or grocery store,” Wunderlich says. “But a lot of my imagery comes from believing it’s OK to put emphasis on the family, to make that a priority. I know a lot of people get that and appreciate what I’m trying to do with my work.”
The theme of parenting is certainly universal and, accordingly, the artist’s collection has been exhibited all over the world. She has had more than 70 national and international exhibitions in the past five years, from New York City to Berkeley to Munich, Germany.
Creating art is what keeps Wunderlich calm and composed. Although she often finds herself rushing in and out of the studio, and revisiting work months after it was started, she is constantly recording the basic goings-on in the interim, and keeps a journal in every room of the house. “My children are so funny and imaginative,” Wunderlich says. “There is always something new. I really do look like a playground sometimes. I know most parents get that, and I think that’s why they respond to my work on a deeper level. It is therapeutic to make this chaos into art instead of having it make me crazy every day. Motherhood is about extreme tasking and being in control of so many things. Being able to put that into a sculpture or a work of art is empowering.”
