Defiant Artwork from Defining Me

Today I'm sharing artwork with you that I am so very in love with. 

I've been following Lee's blog Defining Me for some time now.  She started blogging way back in April 2006, and when I visit her site, what I can't shake is her unique writing and artwork.  Many of Lee's posts remind me of a brainstorm.  A compilation of raw thought.  Although all her images have distinctive "Lee style" I'm especially fond of her cool portraits with their big lush lips! 

Lee has been a major inspiration for me in my whole concept of Twist Defiance. I remember visiting her site and thinking, "there should be an award for this!!"  (Not to mention how her posts are complimented not by random photography, but by her actual artwork.  Impressive to say the least!)

In our correspondence over this post, Lee shared with me her thoughts on creativity, and what she thinks being original is.  In her own words, "...originality to me means using my own pictures, paintings, or drawings, even if they are crap and just putting it out there... I think originality means that something in your art somehow just screams out that you did it." 

Lee is busy making art all the time.  She's taken many on-line classes and does something artful every day.  She says, "I am constantly learning, taking classes, reading art books, looking at blogs, trying new techniques. When I create art or work in art journal, I listen to books on tape. I like a bit of background noise when I create, nothing too loud..."  

Besides Studio Mailbox (bless her heart), Lee follows Alisa Burke for "her style, her use of colour, and line."  She's currently enrolled in Julie Prichard's Melange Workshop  learning new techniques in mixed media using pieces of vinyl, plexiglass and tyvec paper.

I'm so grateful to Lee for her generosity in sharing her artwork with us as well as her patience with me while formulating this. 

Because I've never seen artwork quite like hers, I hereby crown Lee Kreklewetz with the world's first Twist Defiant merit badge! 

And for those mail artists out there, if you're interested in a cool upcoming feminine-themed swap that Lee's co-hosting, investigate that here!

Comments

[Veronika]

Isn't it just wonderful to come across artists like this, people who are not afraid to try things out and not wait until they reach some kind of definition of perfect? I always loved and admired people like that and their energy always shines through their work making it absolutely perfect :) Thanks for sharing TJ, always nice to expand my inspiration circle with people like this.

[TJ]

Thanks Veronika, yeah Lee is super inspiring!!

[Mary]

Lee is a wonderful artist...yes, she always has art that is unique and different. Great post!!!

[Anke Martin]

I come from Lee's blog and yes I totally agree with you. I follow her for a while as well and it's amazing how she finds her way just expessing herself. But that's all it matters. As long it makes you feel good and if your true feelings are in your art, other poeple will be attracted to it, it doesn't matter if it's perfect or not. Feelings are carried in creations and it's speaking to you, that's what is so unique about Lee's art too. They speak to you!
Smiles, Anke ;)