My grandpa, Leon Makielski, was a well-known artist, creating over 3000 works of art throughout his lifetime. But perhaps the one work of art he produced that I will remember the most is the house he built from an old barn with his own hands.

1. Presentation by Ellen Lilley

2. This is me and my grandfather, Leon Makielski.
We called him Djia Djia, which is Polish for Grandpa.

3. My grandfather was an artist. He created over 3000 works of art
over his lifetime, including drawings, etchings, and paintings.

4. However, the work of art that he created that will always be the most
memorable to me is the house that he built with his own hands.

5. My grandfather was born on
May 17, 1885 in the small
mining town of Morris Run,
Pennsylvania.
He was the third child of
twelve born to Alexander and
Elizabeth Makielski, who
immigrated to the United
States from Poland in 1881.

6. Leon was a painter whose
talent was recognized at
an early age.
He studied at the Art
Institute of Chicago, and
spent four years studying
at the Academie Julian
and the Grande
Chaumiere in Paris.

7. While in Europe, he spent his spare
time painting the city parks as well as
the local French countryside. He also
traveled through the museums of
Italy, England, Germany, Poland,
Belgium, Holland and Austria,
painting the towns, cities and
landscapes along the way.

8. His paintings were accepted into
Le Salon 1911 and Le Salon 1912,
Europe's most prestigious
exhibitions.
This portrait of Penelope Petersen
was shown at Le Salon 1911,
demonstrating his considerable
skill and talent at portraiture.

9. He had booked passage on the Titanic for his return trip from
Europe to New York, but thankfully canceled his trip,
choosing to remain in Europe to continue painting.

10. In 1913, Leon returned from Paris, eventually settling in
Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he launched a successful career
as a portrait and landscape painter.
He also taught fine arts at the University of Michigan, as well
as the Meinsinger Art School in Detroit.

11. In 1917, Leon purchased ¾ acre of land outside of
Ann Arbor, Michigan, for $1 down and $1 a month. The following
year, he purchased a barn from a farm near the Huron River.

12. It took three weeks to relocate the barn to his property.
My grandfather slept in it at night while it was being moved.

13. The barn was placed on top of the hill of my
grandfather’s property.

14. He spent every spare moment working on his new home and
studio, and his many friends helped.

15. Here’s my grandfather on the
doorstep of his house. The
front door entered on to the
second floor.

16. My grandfather’s studio was on
the second floor, with a ceiling
that extended 2 stories high.

17. The living room was also on the
second floor, and the bedroom
was on the third floor.

18. A kitchen, a workshop and a garage occupied the basement level.

19. Even though he was busy
building his house, he still
found time to court the
woman he would soon
marry, Anna Schmitt.

20. After Anna graduated from the university
with a degree in Liberal Arts ….

21. … they were married on July 13, 1921.

22. The union would last a lifetime, producing five children:
Elizabeth, Marjorie, Edward, Donald, and Joan.

23. As the family
grew over the
years, so too did
the house grow
to accommodate
them.

24. A sleeping porch was added to make room for the growing
family. The five children slept on the sleeping porch through all
seasons, including the harsh Michigan winters. My mom
recalls that during snowstorms, the wind would sometimes
blow snow in on top of their beds.

25. The house had two ‘eyebrows’’, a
bay window, and a lot of
stonework.

26. My grandfather did the
stone work himself. Here
he is, building the chimney.

27. He also did the stonework around “picnic place”, an area off to
the side of the house set aside for outdoor family gatherings.

28. Here’s a picture of Picnic Place taken in 1959.

29. Picnic Place was the
scene for many family
parties and reunions
throughout the years.

30. This is Grandpa’s house in the 1930s.

31. In the early years, the studio was quite remote.
Studio

32. There weren’t many neighbors around.

33. However, eventually the urbanization of Ann Arbor
enveloped the property.

34. In 1942, Leon and his sons began work on another addition to
the back of the house.

35. Work continued
until World War II
made building
materials too hard
to get.

36. After the war concluded, work resumed again in 1949.

37. Finally, the sleeping porch would be enclosed!

38. Leon’s kids helped out, especially the
twin boys, Donald and Edward.

39. Even daughter Marjorie got into
the act, swinging some nails to
help out.

40. The addition added several bedrooms and a bathroom, bringing
the total square footage to over 4200 square feet.

41. As a young girl, visiting my grandparents and staying in their
house was always a source of wonderment for me ….

42. The house was so BIG at
three stories tall, with
countless rooms and
endless corridors.

43. The house was like a
museum, full of antiques
and original furnishings as
well as new pieces which
had been acquired over the
years.
And there were
paintings everywhere:
on every wall surface,
and stuffed in the many
cupboards and closets
throughout the house.

44. The downstairs kitchen was
dark and oddly set up, but
cheerful.

45. The large grassy front
yard and trees were
perfect for climbing
and entertained my
siblings and myself
for hours.

46. The large front
yard seemed to go
on for miles….
We would roll
down the hill but
have to stop long
before we ever got
to the end.

47. There were beautiful flowering trees all over the property,

48. including a maple tree my grandmother had smuggled
across the border from Canada, underneath her coat.

49. My grandfather’s studio was strictly off-limits, which made it
even more mysterious to us curious grandchildren.

50. Here are more pictures from
inside his studio.

51. My grandfather,
Leon Makielski,
devoted his entire
adult life to
perfecting his skill
as a painter.

52. He earned many awards in local art exhibitions, and his
paintings have received honors from the Detroit Art Institute,
the Art Institute of Chicago, and the St. Louis Museum of Art.

53. He painted portraits of notable
business leaders, as well as state and
national government figures.

54. He also painted numerous faculty members, some 50
portraits of which are still hanging in University of Michigan
buildings today. His portraits are listed in the Smithsonian
National Portrait Gallery.

55. He oftentimes painted
pictures of family
members like this
portrait of my Aunt
Marjorie. He did
portraits of us
grandchildren, too.

56. My grandparents never
moved from the house
that he built.

57. Their five children all grew up in
the house and left to establish
homes of their own …

58. … but they all returned
often to the house they all
grew up in ….

59. … bringing the many
grandchildren with
them.

60. We visited a number of times
throughout the years while I was
growing up.

61. In 1965, the whole family
gathered at Grandpa’s
house to celebrate his
80th birthday.

62. My grandparents were
together until the end.
My grandmother passed
in 1969 with my
grandfather following in
1974 at the age 0f 89.
The house remained in
the family until the death
of Leon’s oldest daughter
in 1991.

63. After his passing, his
many paintings have been
shown in exhibitions,
including this recent exhibition
at the Spartanburg Art
Museum in Spartanburg,
South Carolina.

64. In a biography written for
one of his exhibitions, it
was said that “He was able
to capture innocence in a
young child’s eyes,

65. life experiences in an aging
face, the dramatic
composition of a floral
still life, …

66. and the enchantment of
American and European
landscapes”.

67. My grandfather’s pictures are
now sold exclusively through
the Elder Gallery in Charlotte,
North Carolina.
You can visit the Elder Gallery online at
http://www.elderart.com
1427 South Boulevard • Suite 101
Charlotte, NC 28203
704-370-6337

68. This presentation is dedicated to my grandfather, of course, and
it is also dedicated in loving memory to my beloved aunts,
Aunt Elizabeth & Aunt Marj.
Gone but not forgotten - Always in our hearts
Marjorie Makielski-Taylor & Elizabeth Makielski

69. Thank you for looking!