About the Artist: Courtney Kolander
“Beauty is present in ordinary places when you stop and take the time to look.”
I grew up in a small town in southwestern Minnesota, an area known for its open horizons, lakes, prairies, and gravel backroads.
As a curious child, I would lie in bed watching the stars through my bedroom window. I distinctly remember seeing a star fall, which sparked an obsession with the cosmos. Why do stars fall? Do they fall when they burn out? Where do they fall to?
My grandparents were farmers, and I spent my childhood summers helping them pick rock, spray beans, and explore the creeks and pastures around their farmhouse. I loved exploring their acreage in anticipation of discovering something that I hadn’t noticed before.
When it came time for college, I was torn between two seemingly opposite paths: veterinary medicine or graphic design. My senior year in high school settled things quickly when I was given the chance to job-shadow at a vet clinic… and nearly fainted during the first major surgery I watched.
I have been a professional artist since 2005. I started as a painter, exploring deep space, nebulas, and star clusters. The same kid who watched the stars through her window ended up spending decades painting them.
2005
PROFESSIONAL ARTIST SINCE
100+
ORIGINAL PAINTINGS SOLD
US & CA
COLLECTORS ACROSS
Returning to Nature
After years of city living, it wasn’t until I was living in Houston, Texas that I could finally name what I was missing. It was like one day, I looked around and realized I was surrounded by concrete… roads, sidewalks, and parking lots, and almost no grass anywhere! I craved open horizons, the smell of fresh-cut grass, lakes, and dark night skies filled with stars.
So, I moved back home to southwestern Minnesota.
Returning to my roots opened my eyes to the quiet beauty of my everyday surroundings. I began photographing the places that brought me peace… the sunsets over the wetlands at Wolf Lake, the winding trails at Ramsey Park, and the simple beauty of rural gravel roads. The wonder I held for the stars expanded into the endless blue horizons of the Midwest prairie.
Welcome to the Kolanderverse 🪐
Today, I’m trying to live more aligned with nature, doing projects around my house like replacing parts of my yard with native wildflowers, growing food in my garden, and building an outdoor pond to help local wildlife.
I also spend my time exploring my surroundings with my camera, filming calming nature videos, drawing and painting, taking care of my aquariums, learning to bake more things from scratch, and spending time with my family and my two Siberian Huskies, Timber and Titan.
Step Deeper Into My Universe 🎨
- Browse the Fine Art Print Gallery – Bring a piece of the Minnesota prairie into your home.
- Coming Soon! Join the Weekly Substack Newsletter – Subscribe for a free weekly nature retreat, downloadable coloring sheets, and reference photos for fellow artists.