Artwork © Keith Grace.
Used with permission from the artist.

Artist Keith Grace Posted Sep-25-2006
Painting and Collage Art
One of the exhibits I experienced at the Greenwich Village Art fair was that of painting and collage artist Keith Grace. My pull towards graphic design makes me especially drawn to work that incorporates collage and typography in the composition, and when I entered Keith's booth I immediately noticed the creative use of both in his display of finished pieces.

The brilliance in Keith's work to me is in the controlled use of collage as an element of design. Many of us think of random tearing and pasting with collage art, but the pieces I seen were wonderful examples of a complementary blending of the mediums into unique works of art. You can check out samples of Keith's work on his Web site to see examples in action. Of special interest may be the section where he discusses his painting and collage technique. It's always interesting to learn about the methods behind the creations. •

58th Greenwich Village Art Fair Posted Sep-20-2006
Meeting Artists of Various Mediums
This past weekend I attended my first ever Greenwich Village Art fair at the Rockford Art Museum in Rockford, Illinois. There were over 100 local and national artists from all over the United States represented and I had a wonderful time taking it all in. It was the perfect "Artist's Date" to stock my pond — Julia "The Artist's Way" Cameron would be so proud!

I made it my intention to chat with artists whose work resonated with me on a certain level and appreciated their willingness to discuss their techniques and inspirations with me. Several of the artists I conversed with also have Web sites established, so in the coming weeks I plan to highlight some of them ala Creative Slush-style. I have a stack of business cards and brochures to sort through, so stay tuned for more... •

KaleidoSoul.com Posted Sep-14-2006
SoulCollage® Playground
Speaking of the spiritual dimension of creative expression, I am increasingly intrigued by how some artists have used intuitive collage as a spiritual component within their lives. One such Web site I am familiar with that facilitates this form of expression is Anne Marie Bennett's KaleidoSoul. Earlier this year Ann Marie Bennett shared her inspiring experience with me about her work as a SoulCollage® facilitator in a piece titled Living in Rhythm with Your Heart and Soul.

If you'd like to see collage art in a whole new light, you'll enjoy visiting KaleidoSoul to learn about SoulCollage®, a trademarked process by Seena Frost where you create your own deck of collaged cards that lead you to inner awareness and transformation. The site also features an alluring array of articles on creativity, the intuitive process, imagination, and guided imagery. Are you intrigued too? •

Fortune Cookie Messages Posted Sep-12-2006
Timely Notes from the Universe
I generally have two response modes to fortune cookie messages: 1) Meh, and 2) Yay! Either they fit or they don't. (Or do they?) Last week I received a fortune cookie message that read, "People are attracted to your inventive and intuitive mind." ...

Designing Autumn Word Search Puzzles Posted Sep-10-2006
Cranking Out Creativity
Every year when September rolls around my creativity seems to kick into high gear. I believe it's the onset of autumn with its cooler temperatures and the emerging vibrant colors in the changing leaves — not to mention the great pumpkin patches, and fruitioned apple orchards 'round these parts that just inspires me. (Just wait until the corn mazes are up!)

The last four months of the year in the Midwest grow colder towards winter, I know, but something about this time of the year before the flurry of snowflakes infuses me with an energy kick that makes me wish the fall season was six months long (we'll just skip summer, okay?). My calendar says that Autumn officially begins on September 23 this year. 13 more days!

Everyone around me gets to benefit from my creativity kick. For instance, in one of my first creativity bursts this season I produced the above mentioned autumn-themed word search puzzles. If you enjoy puzzles I challenge YOU to download and print one of them to stretch your creative brain. Can you find all of the words without looking at the answer key? I dare you to try. •

Collage Artist Shelley Klammer Posted Sep-8-2006
Creativity and Collage for Self-Discovery
Another creative soul who I've been appreciative to cross paths with is Shelley Klammer. The nature of Shelley's work is also deeply spiritual, and she's written a series of engaging articles that includes a discussion on Intuitive Collage, Creativity as Play, and The Art Habit. Shelley also blogs about her art-making, which is so visually inspiring and stimulating to look at.

Shelley expressed (from her profile page on the Creativity Portal), "I feel that life longs for us to awaken our creativity and see that we are creating our individual lives with every choice, thought, feeling, and intention we have." It's thoughtful reflections like these from artists of all kinds that have given me more insight into the spiritual dimension of creative expression. Though that path is a very personal one for each of us, I know it is excitingly full of endless opportunities for self-discovery. •

Lynda Lehmann Painting & Photography Posted Sep-6-2006
Spiritual Artistic Expressions
I am honored to connect with so many creative souls around the world through my work with the Creativity Portal Web site. One prolific artist named Lynda Lehmann has shared a series of articles with Creativity Portal readers related to the more spiritual side of artistic expression. Among them include Art and Power, The Artist: "Tortured Soul" or Joyous Participant, Art and Beauty, and her latest: What is Art? Traditional Versus Abstract.

I personally have been so moved by the depth of Lynda's writings that I would encourage anyone who is seeking a more spiritual perspective on art and creativity to read them. She truly has a wonderful way of expressing her artistic nature not only through her paintings, but as well through her words. Visit Lynda's Web site to view some her featured artwork. You will be inspired. •

The Quilts of Gees Bend Posted Sep-2-2006
2006 Postage Stamps
Quilting guilds and art lovers alike will be happy to know that the United States Post Office has issued an artful array of stamps depicting the designs of the Quilts of Gees Bend. ...

Back to 2006 Tidbit Archives...