In Residence June 3 - August 13, 2023

Have you ever been inspired by a work of art? Or inspired by things you find in the world around you?  

KaleidoZone artist Cheryl Kessler finds inspiration from all of these things! Cheryl is a mixed media artist.  This means she uses lots of different things, such as cardboard, paper grocery bags, security envelopes, old papers, paint and more to create artwork. Cheryl also loves to look at the work of other artists and many of her pieces are inspired by women artists of the New York School during the 1940s and 1950s, as well as current-day women artists. Cheryl makes art that tells stories – real or imagined – through texture, color and composition with materials that would otherwise end up in the recycling bin. 

Dappled Petals

Cheryl's piece "Dappled Petals" appears in the featured image above. Cheryl painted pieces of cardboard that came in grocery delivery bags. Cheryl began using cardboard as a “canvas” for doing lessons from a library book called “Learn to Paint in Acrylics With 50 Small Paintings” by Mark Daniel Nelson (2015). While making these paintings of real things was fun, Cheryl started experimenting with abstract painting almost immediately. The cardboard was a perfect size for practicing and soon Cheryl was using it to make mixed media (using more than one kind of material) artwork.  

Because of the odd size of the cardboard, Cheryl decided to mount each piece on wood she found in the cast-off bin at the local Home Depot, which she painted complementary colors.  

Explore Dappled Petals and many other pieces of Cheryl's abstract art in person in our KaleidoZone gallery through August 13, 2023.

Meet Cheryl

 

Cheryl Recommends Children's Books About Art

  • "The Artist" by Ed Vere  (Ages 3-5)
  • "What's the Big Idea?: Activities and Adventures in Abstract Art" by Joyce Raimondo (Ages 5-9)
  • "Beautiful Oops!" by Barney Saltzberg  (Ages 2-6)
  • "Splatter" by Diane Alber  (Ages 3-9)
  • "Opposites Attract" by Mo Willems (All Ages)
  • "I am an artist" by Marta Altes (Ages 2-6)
  • "I Spy Shapes in Art" by Lucy Micklethwait (Ages 4-8)
  • "Focus: Found Faces: Your World, Your Images" by Lark Books (All ages)
  • "Swatch: The Girl Who Loved Color" by Julia Denos (Ages 4-8)
  • "The Dot" by Peter H Reynolds (Ages 4-9)

Cheryl Recommends Videos for Children About Art

  • Art for Kids Hub: A YouTube Channel made by a family that creates new art lessons every weekday.
  • Learn Abstract Art: Created by "I Love Drawing," an introduction to the artform based on lines, colors, shapes, and forms that evoke feelings.
  • Art History Channel: A YouTube series featuring 15-minute videos about the lives of artists, designed for anyone.

Women Artists

Cheryl finds inspiration from many women artists, including Joan Mitchells, Lee Krasner, and Betty Franks. View more of Cheryl's work at LICM during this exhibition, as well as on Cheryl's website and Instagram. Here at LICM, we've featured many women artists LICM in our KaleidoZone Gallery. Discover twelve more women artists.

About Cheryl Kessler

Cheryl lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.  She has worked with Long Island Children’s Museum for many years helping to ensure that visitors' voices, like yours, are included in the Museum’s exhibits and programs.