Rachael's Handmade Designs

One of my earliest memories during my childhood was watching Bob Ross as a family with my parents and brother in the evenings on PBS. Bob's calm voice seemed to put me into a trance and with just a few simple strokes, Bob had created a beautiful pieces of work that now are highly valued and sought after by collectors around the world. Bob Ross is probably one of the most influential creators in my artists collective and I still find myself just as entranced and captivated by Bob's creations on the canvas today as I was when I was growing up. Its not hard to see why The Joy of Painting has had such an enduring impact on society. (It still plays on PBS and there are millions of videos on youtube!) Bob Ross is even widely considered the grandfather of ASMR ! (Do you get the tingles? Find my favorite ASMR youtubers HERE and HERE .) One thing I found out while writing this article was that Bob Ross was once compared to Fred Rogers, which in and of itself should be considered a ...

I first heard about Maeve after reading Kate Bolick's  Spinster    at the beginning of 2016. (At first I hated this book, but then it grew on me as Kate's story continued, but I digress.) Brennan is one of Kate's Five Awakeners and consequently, one of the people in my Artist Collective. I think that Maeve lived the life that she wanted to live and I think because of that she is a strong female role model. Suffice it to say, Maeve Brennan was thought-provoking at the least. I've included Maeve in my Artist Collective series because she inspires me to challenge myself artistically. She wrote in one way or another her entire life, even toward the end when she literally had nothing left. There are people who talk about doing something, being a creative and producing work, and then there are the people who actually DO it.  Maeve reminds me that life is short and you need to live your passion because it can all be taken away in the blink of an eye. Bein...

Margaret Keane Margaret Keane is a fascinating woman. She is an American painter and mixed media artist known for her "big-eyed waifs" that mainly depict women, children and animals. In 2014, Tim Burton (whose Artist Collective segment is forthcoming) directed a film aptly named Big Eyes, which focuses on Margaret's personal journey with art, her marriage to Walter Keane and his subsequent fraud and misrepresentation of Margaret's work (if you have not seen this movie, you MUST !) as well as the aftermath. She's even IN the movie! Margaret has been painting successfully for more than 60 years. In my opinion, Margaret Keane is one of the most prolific and influential artists ever. She is an American icon and a Modern Master. She is 87, paints every day and lives in Northern California. You can learn more about Margaret here !

When I first read Austen Kleon's "Steal Like an Artist" and then his "Show Your Work" I was astounded at the simplicity of his ideas. If you have not read these books, then as an artist - YOU SHOULD. They are simple little books with big ideas for creatives like you and me. Moving onto Kate Bolick's "Spinster" which I read recently. At first I did not care for this book at all, however when I completed it, I found that I had rather enjoyed the read and that it got me thinking about my own creative heros in my life. So I put together a list of my creatives, with photos or snippets when applicable. Frida Kahlo Frida is probably one of my favorite artists, not only for her work but for her fascinating life. She was a surrealist (a label that she herself rejected, although her body of work is decidedly surrealist in my opinion) and which is an odd choice for my own tastes as I most definitely do NOT appreciate surrealism. Frida regarded her...