Reflecting Lake Erie

Middle Bass Island has long provided the inspiration for painter Michelle Brunner — and soon she’ll have a place of her own to fuel her passion and build new memories.

By Rachel Hagenbaugh

Layers of watery blues, bubble gum pinks and serene greens cover the canvases of Michelle Brunner’s creations, reflecting memories of summers spent on Middle Bass Island and life along Lake Erie.

“People ask me what inspires me to paint all of these coastal scenes, and they are surprised when they find out that I’m from Ohio and that’s what I see from the island,” she says. “They say it looks like New England.”

Brunner, an art teacher at northwest Ohio’s Perrysburg High School for almost 20 years, has always had a passion for painting. In 2017, she made a New Year’s resolution to paint in her sketchbook every day for a year. To keep herself accountable, she posted the results on Instagram.

“I started painting for myself at first as a challenge. Then, it turned into a series, and I started getting commissions and working with other artists, galleries and people from throughout the U.S. — all through Instagram,” she says. “My philosophy is, ‘Just do it and see what happens and what kind of feedback you get.’ That’s how I approach my art.”

When Brunner first took on the challenge, her paintings didn’t have a specific focus. Eventually, she found herself drawn to pictures she’d taken when she was at her parents’ cottage on Middle Bass Island. It was the perfect inspiration for her impressionist painting style.

Using acrylic paint, which dries easily and is good for layering, every painting Brunner creates starts with an underpainting — usually a base color of light pink. For the most part, she doesn’t draw out her work; she layers the paint and mixes colors directly on the canvas.

“A lot of what I do is intuitive painting,” she says, adding that she does a lot of studies in her sketchbook while on the island and then goes back to her studio in Perrysburg to paint them.

“I’ve found it very peaceful to paint from memories of spending summers on the island,” she says.

Her family’s love affair with the islands began with her grandparents, who owned a small, single-story cottage on South Bass Island. When Brunner’s father, Bob St. John, got married he wanted the same kind of summer for his family.

Bob and his wife, Maureen, looked around South Bass Island, but couldn’t find anything in their price range. The problem on Kelleys Island was that all of the properties they liked had a road separating them from the water. When the couple visited Middle Bass Island, they found a beautiful piece of lakefront property nestled on the north side of the island with a magnificent view of Sugar Island and water as far as the eye could see.

Bob and Maureen purchased the property in 1980, but, with another home they’d bought in Perrysburg, as well as a growing family, they didn’t get the opportunity to start building their island abode until 2010. When the time came, they considered their options and decided that transporting a prebuilt home to the island would be the best approach.

“There’s some good builders and craftsmen on the island, but it’s hard to book them to do a large house,” Bob says, adding that the biggest hurdle was figuring out how to get the house on the ferry, which can accommodate a width of only about 15 feet.

“That limited the size the house could be,” Bob says, explaining that the house came over in six sections. Once the house made it to the island, contractors dug the foundation, joined the two first-floor pieces and used a crane to lift and bolt the second floor and roof together.

“Watching them build the house was amazing,” he says. “It was a neat way to build a house.”

Bob and Maureen spend about 85% of spring, summer and fall on the island, enjoying time with family and friends and taking advantage of their slice of paradise.

“It’s so quiet and serene and just a nice place to be. If you like nature and the outdoors, you’ll love Middle Bass,” Bob says, noting the variety of wildlife, including white pelicans, tundra swans, beavers and even deer that can be seen swimming between the islands. Among their favorite activities are fishing and paddleboarding around Sugar Island.