Joanne Koenig-Macko is a Naperville resident unknown to many in her community. But she’s received international attention for her spiritual artwork of angels.
“If anyone would have told me that I was going to be speaking at the United Nations in front of 20 nations, and then from there went out to the world, that Madeleine Albright, who was then head under the Clinton administration, would write to me personally and hang my artwork up. I would receive letters from different ambassadors all over the world. My work was presented to Mikhail Gorbachev, the President of Russia, at the White House, most people wouldn’t believe me. But you have to put your blinders on, and you follow your heart. And this is my calling. I knew I was meant to do this,” she said.
Koenig-Macko’s success started as a childhood dream
When Koenig-Macko was just five years old, she told her parents she would be a famous artist.
Since she started painting angels, her childhood dream has become her reality.
“My passion is to awaken people. We need more joy and kindness in this world, as you can imagine, so anything I can do to bring a smile on someone’s face, to give them some hope,” Koenig-Macko said. “There are people that are going through crazy things right now, and what this art does, it gives them some hope.”
Koenig-Macko found hope after a serious car accident
Koenig-Macko’s inspiration for angelic art started over 40 years ago after she suffered a serious back injury in a car accident caused by a drunk driver.
“I thought, this is it. I’m going to be a paraplegic the rest of my life, and I’m just starting a new life. So I was angry. I was angry at everything. But I learned through that experience about forgiveness, and I would just pray to my angels. I always knew at a young age there was someone, some higher force, protecting us. There was an inner knowing, ‘You’ve got to forgive this person, because if you hold on to this anger and hatred, you’re going to end up in a wheelchair the rest of your life,’” Koenig-Macko said.
Her mission to inspire others who have suffered
“So I just decided to turn this around and look at it from a different viewpoint. What if this happened so that down the road, I could be helping other people get through their sad, horrific situations? So that’s, you know, I always say, if it wasn’t for that accident, I would not be doing this,” Koenig-Macko continued.
Koenig-Macko creates lively artwork to bring hope to people who have struggled like her.
“I want more uplifting art. We need more joyful, more colorful that speaks to the soul. I think people are becoming more spiritual,” she said.
Koenig-Macko pursues other creative outlets
Her artwork is also unique for how she paints it – with just her fingers and rose stems.
“I don’t use brushes. First of all, I love the angle. So like, right now, I’m working on an order for this is Archangel Gabriel, and I’m applying all this modeling paste over the wings. And you can see, here’s a finished product, so this is a print on canvas I’m working on right now for a client.” Koenig-Macko said.
After her accident, she wrote three books, the “Surviving Earth School” trilogy, about her spiritual experience.
She’s currently writing and illustrating a fantasy novel for teens and young adults called Amelia Blue.
Koenig-Macko also co-hosts a podcast with her best friend in Connecticut to talk more about angels and spiritual ideas.
For the near future, Koenig-Macko plans to keep creating. She has dreams of opening her own gallery one day.
“As long as I have life in me, I’m going to keep painting,” Koenig-Macko said. “I’ll probably, you know, end my life with a paintbrush in my hand, but I’ll be joyful.”
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