MiVT: MTN GRL Studio

LINCOLN, Vt. (WCAX) - Zarabeth Duell is one of many people who call the mountains home. But, she’s lucky in that she gets to enjoy them for work, too.

“I am an artist and a maker, a bread-baker, a gardener, a hiker,” she said.

Duell spent most of her career as a structural engineer before realizing she wanted to make a change. Opting for flexibility, she wanted to spend more time doing what she loves and doing it with her sons.

“I get excited that I get to do all of those things, and be here for my boys too,” Duell said.

She had a childhood full of crafts, thanks to an artistic mother. So, moving into art seemed to make a lot of sense. That’s why five years ago, she opened MTN GRL Studio.

“I like to do a lot of different things, I get bored otherwise. So, watercolors and then maybe I will do a relief print, and then maybe I will do a pen and ink,” Duell said.

Her work spans a lot of mediums.

Her best-sellers are screen-printed posters, often sold in gift shops around Vermont. Duell says her inspiration is from her time spent in the mountains, and she’s particularly enamored with the Long Trail, which is the subject of these pieces.

However, her true love is in watercolors and textures.

A bit more expensive, these time-consuming and intricate pieces are Duell’s re-creation of the mountains.

“I’m always trying to emulate those layers of mountains that we see when we’re on top of a mountain and so these layered pieces that I’m doing really try to bring some depth to that view,” she explained.

This Vermonter says she hopes her work gives people the feeling she gets when she’s standing on a summit or walking through a forest.

“Even though I’m not a fan of winter, I love all of the seasons, I love seeing in change, I love the greens and the blues,” she said,

While those colors are usually only found during the summer months, this art can add a little color, and a little Vermont to everyday life, year-round.

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