Where does your inspiration come from?

    I'm inspired both by nature and myths, I love travel and adventures.  When working on paintings and art I try to integrate that experience of adventure or the unknown with touches of home and nature.  When sewing I create or choose textiles that reflect my experiences or ideas.  I create wearable art, I find things I enjoy and talk about them or integrate them into my pieces.  I guess I'm inspired most by everyday life, any my work is a reflection of the 'things' I find valuable.

When do you feel the most creative?

    I feel most creative when I'm creating. I usually need to be alone, sometimes with music, and then remind myself what inspires me, if there are recent images from a trip we took or thoughts I had while traveling, I look at my journals, research images and get to it.  I find that when I'm creating, I completely lose track of time and can stay up all night just drawing or sewing.  I think painting is my favorite which is why I paint each silk screen by hand instead of using photo emulsion techniques, it's what separates my tee shirt fonts apart from other designers.  Each and every shirt is screened with my bare hands and handwriting.  There is something magical about creating with our physical bodies, don't get me wrong digital has it's place too, but you can feel the love of something handmade. 

Where can we learn more about you?  

    I have my blog hawksandhoney.com  where you can find out more about my everyday life and projects, adventures and thoughts.  I'm all over the place, I like to keep busy and the blog is a space for me to document all things worth sharing. You can also find me overgramming on Instagram @jenniferlindschutsky.com where I post too many photos of my favorite people, places and things.

Meet Leah Kiser, of Artifact Fine Art.

I'm a figure painter of characters.  Satirical ideas and dark humor often inspire me, sort of like a cartoonist, but where I feel I differ is in my patience for details. I enjoy falling deep into the visual world to learn how things fit together realistically.

What sort of things inspire you? 

I find inspiration in everyday life.  Silly thoughts will often pop into my mind at inopportune moments and when they make me laugh out loud I start to think about how I can make that idea work on canvas (I have to admit -my kids are helpful in that part of the process). My ideas often seem childish, but the color and composition of my work has a more serious or mature feeling. 

Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to?

I look at paintings by masters for inspiration on composition and color.  Gustav Klimt, Degas, Van Gogh, other impressionist figure painters are usually a good start for me. 

When do you feel the most creative?

I feel most creative when I'm alone. I paint in my garage and listen to sort of visceral music while I'm working -White Stripes, Bon Iver, El Ten Eleven, Adel, Postal Service. I like the way the music makes me feel.  It puts me into a creative and active frame of mind. 

I paint because it is therapeutic for me.  I am more of a listener and observer.  Words do not come easily for me, and when I make art I get to develop my ideas and understand the world from my humble perspective.  When I share my hard work with others, I learn that many people do appreciate my way of thinking and the hard work that I do. It helps me feel valid (thank you, fans).

You can learn more about me on my website artifactfa.com

Shop Artifact Fine Art at Jackalope Art & Craft Fair on December 12th & 13th at Steele Indian School Park!