Artists Who Inspire

Jane is a full time artist working in collage, painting, and encaustic. She offers workshops at her studio and nationwide, focusing on helping people find a personal and playful approach to art.

In my humble opinion, she is the best I have found at mark making using a multitude of materials. Her videos are very informative to other artists at any level. I watch her cover over parts that are beautiful and I cringe. I need to embrace her idea of  “the freedom of knowing I can paint over anything at any time.”

I have yet to attend one of her workshops. If she would just come to the Dallas area…..

Laura Lein-Svencner was raised in Downers Grove IL not far from her grandfather’s farm and now resides in Darien Illinois for the past 30 years. She continues with her personal studies in drawing, printmaking, sculpture/assemblage, papermaking and collage. Seeking inspiration from one artist to another. Laura has pursued her love of paper; this steady pace of exploration has led her to become a member of many local and international collage groups. During the summer months you will find her creating in her studio, gardening and walking in the woods with her dogs but when she’s not doing that you will see her exhibiting at local art fairs and teaching collage workshops throughout the Midwest.

She states she started this amazing journey when she and her daughter decided to paint a dot mandala on a rock they had found. After studying the works of Elsbeth McLean and Ginger at Traveling Kindness Rocks, she was off. She began creating tutorials on dotillism that up until then where hard to find if in existence at all. My favorite thing about Kristin is that she allows other artists (like me) to practice using her designs and learn as she learns about what tools are available and how to use them. She chooses to share freely and cheer on other artists and would-be artists, instead of seeing them as competitors. Find her beautiful designs on her YouTube tutorials on How to Paint Dot Mandalas, on Facebook and at KristinUhrig.com.

She is another of my Mixed Media Gurus. Look to her Mixed Media Morsels and learn new techniques or brush up on what you already know in a new and fascinating way.  Check out her YouTube channel.   http://mixedmediamorsels.com/

Sandhya is a Chennai based Indian Artist, working in oils and ink drawings. Though mostly self taught she was fortunate to train under some highly skilled and successful artists during her travels around the world. Her works are impressionistic interpretations and represent her multicultural experiences. She explores these subjects in vibrant colors through oils and watercolors-ink drawings.

When Sandhya lived in the Dallas area, I was privileged to meet her through our mutual membership in the Plano Art Association. It was here with a demo that she got me hooked on the Zentangle Method. We shared a studio for a while, she tangled the hood of my truck, and I will be forever grateful to call her friend.

I miss her presents here in the states.

Doug and Kiki allowed me to live one of my dreams. They created the opportunity for artists to have actual studios in a mall. Studios where we could create and display our works.  A community where we could learn from each other, share creative ideas and grow. Check out their creations in their beautiful gallery here.