"Flight" Kristy Klaiber

"Flight" Kristy Klaiber. Mixed media painted collage with found objects.  18" x 24"

I use words quite often in my art. I was thinking of the word flight, and birds, but then all kinds of associations kept coming up.

I have always been interested in art and was greatly influenced by an artist who lived in my neighborhood growing up, Clotilde Funk. She was an illustrator and that got me interested in drawing, usually pen and ink. I studied art in college but switched majors to clinical social work and then went into teaching.

After I retired from teaching, I was asked to return as the art teacher and I did, for three years. I worked with clay for a few years, but when we moved to New Mexico and built our Earthship home, which is solar powered, I found I couldn't use my kiln anymore. In building our house I became interested in using the scrap materials in art. In the last few years I've combined mixed media with mosaics and who knows where that will take me.  I love color, design and whimsey and the freedom that comes with mixed media. I've been in shows in Taos, Santa Fe and Las Vegas, NM. I also can be found at El Zocalo Gallery in Las Vegas.