Tell All Tuesday ~ Featured Artist: Lee Kreklewetz

Hi guys it's TAT time yay =D I just love how every week I can share with you the work of someone from anywhere in the world ~ people that we will probably never meet personally or even have come across otherwise. In a facebook post today I shared how my videos have now been watched in 190 countries, and how shocked I was at that - not many that commented seemed at all surprised by it but it just BLOWS my mind: this is why I love the internet! <3. And today's TAT proves it yet again, as we are traveling to Canada to meet Lee, enjoy =)

Tell us a little bit about yourself & what kind of artist you are.

Hi my name is Lee Kreklewetz, I live in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. I am 59 years old, and retired after working 35 years for a power company. I am enjoying retirement life; it’s like that old saying "how did I ever have time to work". I have always been an artist in my mind, always a crafter, always a doodler. I did not pick up a drawing pencil until about 6 years ago, just before I started my blog. My blog was supposed to be just for family and friends to connect with me, but it morphed into more. I started creating art, and loving it. All those old feelings returned; how much I loved paper and pencil, and paint, and creating. I love to draw nature, birds and women - my women don’t look like any women you would know, but I do love creating them. All my work is colourful, I love color and you will see that in my art. I guess you could call my style folk art or though really I would prefer no label, it’s just my art. 

What is the biggest challenge you personally face as an artist and how do you overcome it?
The biggest challenge for me as an artist, is first to call myself an artist. I always think of my art as elementary not sophisticated. I have not had any formal training, only a few courses at the university. I feel intimidated by everyone's beautiful art out there. I am kind of all over the place with my art: collage, painting, drawing, doodles. I use paint, markers, watercolour, crayons. To overcome my fear of putting my art out there and calling myself an artist I do things like enter a swap or do an online interview like this. Do you know how long I have been thinking of doing this, finally I decided to bite the bullet and just do it…so if I can you can too. 

What do you love most / least enjoyable about your art? 
I love everything about art, but I must tell you I am a supply junkie. I love paper, pastels, neo-colours, acrylic inks. So I love to use many art supplies when creating. When first beginning a new project, I usually never start with an idea; I will put down some paint and collage papers on canvas and see where that leads me, and just play. Sometimes its total crap, and other times it’s something new and exciting to me. 

What messages do you try to portray in your work and do you feel you achieve it?
When people see my art, I want them to be visually stimulated by the colour and feel my joy when creating art. I want the viewer to know that creating art is not about being perfect, or knowing how to mix colours to get that perfect piece of art. It’s about you creating what you love and creating it your own way, because my colours are not perfect. I don’t always colour in the lines, I don’t believe that is what art is all about.

Tell us where can we find out more about you & your art? 
In case you want to check out my blog Defining Me.....I post just about everyday always with some art.

http://leekre.blogspot.ca/ 

Thank you so much for sharing Lee, you're work to me looks so...I want to say 'carefree' but don't want it to sound as if I think there's no effort involved in your work, I mean it in a joyful, expressive kind of way. What I most love in your interview is the ...'because my colours are not perfect. I don’t always colour in the lines, I don’t believe that is what art is all about' part, hear hear I say! =D

Do you

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Email me or click the link to find all the details here =)

Much love

Jennibellie