ST LOUIS _ Walking into Mary Engelbreit's studio is like stepping into one of her storybooks _ a whimsical, bright space brimming with preciousness and a sprinkle of sass. Eight decorative birdhouses are perched on top of a short wall by the entry. There's a nook with a checker-print sofa and images of Scottish terriers on the throw pillows. A cheerful quilt hangs on the wall above the sofa, and a cacophony of dolls, figurines and stuffed animals are crammed on the shelves nearby.
The artist who created this licensing empire, with more than 13,000 pieces of usable art including calendars, books, tea sets, ribbons and fabrics, is a 67-year-old St. Louisan calling out her own sheltered world of cuteness.
Engelbreit enters her 2,800-square-foot workspace wearing a printed floral scarf and red framed glasses, appearing every bit the Midwestern grandmother you might expect.
That is, until the conversation gets political.
"Now I'm focused on how many senators are willing to sell their souls to cover up for this moron," she says during a recent visit. If there's any doubt about who she's referring to, a scroll through her Instagram feed makes the subject of her ire crystal clear.
"This is WAY more than Democrat/Republican," she wrote in response to a follower upset by one of her recent posts. "This is moral/immoral. You can be a Republican and not support Trump. But if you do support him, you are supporting a white supremacist, uneducated, lying, grifting, racist, narcissistic, evil sexual predator, and all of your 'Can't we all just love one another?' is meaningless and insulting to all the people Trump seeks to disenfranchise."
But tell us how you really feel, Mary.
