Decorated With Affection

From her teeming collection of eye-catching, thrifty jewelry to her piles of acrylic mini-masterpieces, everything about 56-year-old Mary Tiutczenko seems to be decorated with affection. Her love for painting and all things color shines through both her artistic creations and unfailing rosy personality. 

Tiutczenko’s perseverance and continuous positivity is truly inspiring. After suffering traumatic injury to her spinal cord when she was only 28 years old, immediately causing the loss of most motor ability from her neck down, Tiutczenko refused to give up on the things that make her so admirable. Who said painting is a two-hand job? Tiutczenko refused to stop creating and embraced painting again, learning to use her mouth to guide the paintbrush, and continues to produce works that are meaningful and special to her and the people around her. From elaborate winter-themed paint-by-numbers to picturesque sunset landscapes, hardly any of her creations are born without someone or something in mind. Tiutczenko explains that almost all of her creations are gifted besides a select few she keeps to showcase in local art shows or decorate her purple-painted walls with. 

Besides being a pointed crafter, Mary also tunes into her creative side by being the true life-of-the-party. Whether it’s an all-out Halloween costume, holiday-themed outfit, or handmade invitation, it’s impossible for her not to leave a lasting, genuine smile everywhere she goes. When she’s not busy painting, Mary truly devotes every amount of herself to improving the lives of others. 

Although I've only had the pleasure of meeting her once, she has left such an impact on me, and I can only imagine all the people she’s touched and influenced throughout her life. 

“You can either choose to be miserable and make everyone miserable too or be happy and make others happy...and I've chosen to be happy,” Tiutczenko said.