Meet Catalina CELIS Reasoner | Art Director and Creator of Magical Worlds

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catalina CELIS Reasoner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catalina CELIS, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, in a family of five children where art, literature, and music were our daily bread and butter. On weekdays, we would wake up with classical music playing throughout the house. I could almost see the musical notes floating in the air and being transported out the windows by light rays. Only to be mixed with the chirping of mom’s canaries creating the most magnificent morning symphony. Once you were up and ready to start your day, you would head to the kitchen for breakfast, walking through the open spaces of our magical house, which was half connected with the outside world. And the artwork hanging from its walls and ceilings provided the inspiration you needed to get on with your day. And at dusk, when the light had hidden on the other side of the world, we would fall asleep listening to my mom’s and dad’s voices reciting the words from The Little Prince, Platero and I, or many other children’s books. And those words that have lulled us asleep, would keep us company in our dreams. And so, that was the daily routine of our weekdays.

Now, the weekends were even more exciting, especially Sundays. As both my parents were architects, Sundays were reserved for touring the city to see which new architectural masterpieces were being erected, and for wandering around the many exhibit rooms of museums and art galleries. That is how I got the love for museums. There is something about entering a magical room at a museum, without any expectations and marveling at the creations of an artist, or the moon rock that has just arrived at the Natural History Museum. That sense of wonder is so exhilarating that it is hard to describe. And so, we grew up in an endless nurturing environment that made it impossible not to be creative and enjoy all art’s expressions.

Now, my fascination for Christmas ornaments started at an early age. Being of German descent, the Advent season played a significant role in our annual Christmas celebration. Making handmade ornaments with my mother and siblings marked the beginning of the holiday season for us, which was often long before the arrival of the first Advent Sunday.
Some of my parents’ closest friends were artists, writers, and poets. Mom would often invite them to our home to make Christmas ornaments. One of the first memories I recall is making a colorful paper-chain garland made from “papel lustrillo” (glossy paper). As we grew older, the ornaments became more elaborate. I remember making bright-colored tissue paper balls, which were very simple and beautiful. I also recall making ornaments from emptied eggshells and others from balsa wood cutouts painted with leftover enamel from my brother’s model car kits.

Figuring out what materials to use for the ornaments was fascinating, although coming up with the ideas was even more exciting. My siblings and I always had different ideas for our ornaments. Some ideas celebrated the wonderful book we had just read, the ballet grandma had taken us to, or that special present we had received for our birthday. Each of us would make ornaments to commemorate an important event in our young lives. And of course, just like I did with my siblings as a little girl, my children and I would also spend time making hand-made Christmas ornaments in preparation for the season.

Even though I graduated as a Chemical Engineer with a Minor in Computer Science and worked for over 45 years in Information Technology, I have always pursued my artistic passion, which as you can tell by now, germinated inside the walls of my house and was fostered by my loving parents, until their passing. Now, my engineering background comes in very handy when designing my ornaments. By looking at them, you wouldn’t think that there is any engineering involved. But that is not the case. My engineering mind helps me design the assembly process paying close attention to ensuring the ornaments can last for generations to come. So, indeed, my artistic upbringing and my engineering schooling played a big role in who I am today and what I do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As I mentioned earlier, this past year has been one of soul-searching, with the sole purpose of crystallizing my brand. What do I want to share with the world? Why do I want to do it? What is unique about me that makes my product unique as well? Yes, I do have a beautiful product, handmade Christmas ornaments made from recycled and repurposed materials. But what is inside those ornaments that make them so magical? That was the question that only my soul could answer. And so, I have journeyed deep into the corners of my heart to find it.

When you look at my ornaments with plain eyes, you see whimsical Christmas ornaments. If you pay closer attention, you may realize that I make them from recycled and repurposed materials. If you take the time to read the stories behind the ornaments, you’ll start finding pieces of my heart here and there. And that is when you may realize that the other “ingredients” for my ornaments are my childhood memories, favorite books, and wild imagination. Now, if you look at the ornaments with your heart, you’ll discover a magical world I have created where our inner child is always welcome. An enchanting world that can trigger your most treasured memories and allows you to feel again the emotions triggered by those once-upon-a-time memories. And this discovery is the essence of my brand.

Every collection I create, every ornament I design, is inspired by my memories or the alchemy enchantments grown from my imagination. Sometimes, they are big memories, other times, they are just little vestiges of my childhood. But one thing is always true, everything I create has a smidge of my soul.

I found that is easier for people to understand where my art comes from when they learn a little about my childhood. So, here it is. As a child, my parents encouraged my creativity daily, so my imagination saw no limits. I found inspiration in every corner of our house. Designed by my dad, an architect, its windowed walls invited nature and light. And the light magically transformed every corner of our house, every moment of the day. And enveloped by that light, I daydreamed of princesses, dragons, and knights. I wrote stories, plays, and poems in which my daydreamed characters stitched tales with magical threads and pixie dust. I brought my characters to life with my Prismacolor pencils, on a Strathmore sketchbook, a gift from my dad. And, both of my worlds, the one created by my parents and our magical home, and the one I created from my wild imagination, accompanied me through childhood, teenage years, and adulthood. They became part of me, part of my DNA. So, it is no surprise that everything I make is infused with that magical light inside me.

So, that child, who grew up in that fantastic, enchanting house, is still inside me. And she comes along on my daily walks, strolling through memory lane, and the enchanted forest around me. She reads what I read, and she sees ordinary objects from a youthful lens. And, these days, she is the Enchantress who keeps busy in her art studio, giving new life to discarded materials, dreaming of magical creatures for her enchanted forest, and spreading joy around the world, one ornament at a time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, Columbus Ohio, and its vicinity have a lot to offer. Since all my family lives either overseas or in other states, I do have a list of things to do and places to eat when I have company.

First, let’s talk about the art scene. In the itinerary, I always include a visit to the Columbus Museum of Art. It may not be a MOMA, or a Guggenheim, but it has its treasures and unique charm. And their special exhibitions are fantastic. Just earlier this year I went to visit the Maurice Sendak exhibit. That was something special. I also try to squeeze in a visit to the McConnel’s Art Center in Worthington, and the Wexner Center for the Arts. There are always interesting and unique exhibits going on in these museums.

Second, is the performing arts scene. A BalletMet performance is always a must. Earlier this spring, I went to see their Dorothy and the Prince of Oz ballet. It was fantastic. I have a Wizard of Oz ornaments collection, so seeing some of my characters dancing ballet was fuel to my imagination. I also like to take my guests to Vaughn Wiester’s Jazz Orchestra performances and rehearsals. I do enjoy jazz a lot. I am lucky to live very close to the Clintonville Woman’s Club, where the orchestra rehearses every Monday at 7:00 p.m. It is a treat for those on a low budget. Several restaurants in town offer live music. One that I enjoy is Natalie’s Coal Fire Pizza and Live Music. The music guests are very good. I especially recommend Ramey, a local Columbus band.

Since I mentioned restaurants, let me add a few to the list. Derive Brewing Company is in Clintonville, and they have a fantastic Wednesday special that includes a smashed burger, fries, and homebrewed beer. You cannot go wrong with anything on their menu. Then there is Dough Mama in Clintonville. This cozy breakfast place is known for its sweet and savory pies and delicious biscuits.

For Mother’s Day and my birthday, we like to explore Ohio Wineries as a family. Two of my favorite ones based on the quality of their wines and ambience are Brandeberry Winery and Manchester Hill Winery. These are nice day trips that I’m sure my guests would enjoy.

And finally, I cannot forget to mention some of my favorite outdoor things to do. First, a trip to the Franklin Park Conservatory is certainly a must. I love seeing the Chihuly’s glass sculptures nestled within the greenery of their gardens. They also have very interesting exhibits going on all the time. And for the little ones, their children’s garden with all the magical creatures is just wonderful. And my favorite thing of all the outdoor activities must be going hiking through Hocking Hills. That is the most beautiful and awesome place I have ever experienced. The last time my younger brother Pedro came to visit, he and I spent a whole day hiking there. We came home exhausted, fully enveloped in the magic nature has to offer.

I could go on and on listing different places to go in Columbus and its surroundings, but these are my top ones.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m so glad you asked because this is so true. Behind every one of our successes, there is always a hidden someone who deserves part of the credit, and my case is no different. Even though right now I am almost a “one-woman-show”, I could have not gotten where I am without the support of many people. So, to ensure I don’t miss anyone, I am going to start chronologically, starting from when I decided to turn my passion for handmade Christmas ornaments into a business. When my youngest child Michael went off to college, I found myself with extra time on my hands. So, it seemed the right time to explore the idea of turning Christmas ornaments into my future full-time job. For that, I needed a plan, since at that time, I was working full-time as a Business Systems Analyst.

So, I reached out to a friend and former colleague of mine, John Pribble, from Making Design Matter. I told him about my business idea, making Christmas ornaments and collectible figurines from repurposed and recycled materials. John was already familiar with my ornaments, so he put together a marketing strategy for my business, CELIStial Art. It was going to be a long journey, but we decided to take it one step at a time. In the beginning, there were ups and downs, but John was there guiding me along the way as I would follow the strategy he had so carefully laid out for me. Even though this past year John has been busy taking care of his elderly parents, he keeps an eye on me from afar and continues to encourage me as I follow his plan.

One major piece of the strategy was to have a website. After one misstep, I ended up partnering with Eve Peratopoulos from Emily Journey and Associates, a small company that specializes in building and maintaining WooCommerce websites. My special shoutout goes to Eve, my website manager. Eve accurately implemented my business requirements, creating a beautiful website that represents the true essence of my business. Since its initial launch over a year ago, the website has undergone several improvements, and Eve has been there all along the way. She has become a great ally and friend. I especially love our monthly meetings, where we lay out the plan for the upcoming months as we explore new opportunities to continuously increase the website traffic and customer experience.

Last year, as I had dreamed, I was able to retire from my “day job” to focus solely on growing my business. Part of the marketing strategy was to grow my social media presence. Being able to pay my full attention to the business, it seemed just the right time to dive into this new challenge. I didn’t know much about it. First, I tried a “social media expert” without much luck. So, I decided to take a step back and learn by myself what social media was all about. I decided to start with Instagram.

This was and continues to be a process of trial and error, and a lot of experimentation. But it was not until I met Kat Coroy that everything started clicking. Kat Coroy has her course, Instagram Makeover. I’m almost done with her course, and I’m already noticing the difference it has made. Her approach to Instagram is all about finding and defining your brand’s soul essence and truly expressing it in all your social media content. That was the little bit of magic that I was missing. She makes you do some serious soul-searching to bring clarity to who you are, what your heart wants to say, and what the soul essence of your business ought to be, so you can have a positive impact on the world. One of the greatest things about her course is that you have lifetime access to her, and her husband Des, every week. During her weekly Q&A sessions, she helps and answers people’s questions. And the best of all is her constant encouragement and belief in you. That dedication to truly mentor and guide people is hard to find these days. Believe me, coming from over 45 years of working in a cut-throat corporate world, her approach is refreshing. Since I became fully dedicated to my business, I have taken several courses on an array of business topics, and I have never seen a dedication like hers, filled with love and true wishes for your success. So, Kat Coroy gets one of the biggest shoutouts from me! I would not be on my way to cracking the social media mystery if it was not for her.

Another shoutout must go to the Greater Columbus Arts Council since they recently awarded me a 2023 Funds for Artists Grant. I cannot thank the Greater Columbus Arts Council enough for recognizing my artistic talent and trusting me with spreading my love for art in our communities.

And of course, there is always my loving family who has supported me all these years. My darling husband Steve is always there when I need him. My daughter Laura is always there to offer me her aesthetics and design eye. And my son Michael and my son-in-law Zach, who always help schlepping my stuff at the art shows. And let me not forget the daily encouragement I get from my cousin Camila, my sister-in-law Cecilia, and my one-and-only nephew Carlos Fede. They are some of my most faithful Instagram followers, who from far away, Colombia, Guatemala, and Spain, send me words of encouragement every single day. So, yeah, even though I am a one-woman show, I have an army of friends and family behind me, who help me fulfill my dreams, daily.

Website: https://celistialart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celistialart/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catalina-celis-reasoner-77b43110/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celistialart/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHPbsrYxOnJF_bsxM9pY_jg

Other: Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/CELIStialart/ Art Makes Columbus https://www.columbusmakesart.com/artist/9778-catalina-celis-reasoner Ohio Arts Council https://oovar.ohioartscouncil.org/name/catalina-reasoner/

Image Credits
John Pribble