Life, as well as art, has its beautiful experiences. Whether one is fashioning a celebration or altering an environment to heal or bless, excite, mourn, envision, remember or entertain, we are constantly creating. To honor the traditions and aesthetic embraced by our grand culture, to understand the past and to participate well, one should have an understanding of the principles and elements of art as design and color provide the structure upon which so much is built.

As a young design student, I was thrilled to learn about color harmonies and to know that a knowledge of the elements of art simplifies the choices and decision-making of creativity. One of my professors taught us that art is about problem-solving. With all of the options out there, it is nice to know there are more-correct choices when choosing color. For students anticipating their futures; dressing for dates, creating, planning business and homes, art principles are part of the formula for success When Sir Isaac Newton first envisioned the color wheel as a scientific tool, I’m sure he had no idea how his creation would guide artists and lovers for centuries to come.

I’ve been focusing on my writing career while creating art, broadcasting at BYU and teaching art at a middle and elementary school.The following photographs include ones from articles I’ve published in the Deseret News and other media sources and original art: a list follows.

Repetition in the elongated shapes of the vegetables contrast the mass of the triangular beef in the St. Patrick’s Day meal. The green of the asparagus cools the warm composition and the addition of orange carrots make a scene reminiscent of the flag of Ireland. European holidays are important in my contemporary homage to my ancestors and appear frequently in my writing and art.

In 2013, in response to a call for artists, I designed a 42″ diameter Christmas ornament covered with 100+ pounds of candy that was selected and commissioned by Macy’s corporate office in New York to hang in the window of Macy’s City Creek, Salt Lake City. When Macy’s moved into the building formerly owned by ZCMI, the community asked that they continue the tradition of the candy windows started by ZCMI in the 1970’s. Color, texture and scale were important elements in the design.

This Christmas we created another holiday window. Selfie relied heavily on the texture and color of the candy to create interest in an outdoor scene featuring a family of snowmen (one is taking a selfie in front of the Delicate Arch) and a gingerbread village beneath the smiling Man in the Moon.
http://kutv.com/features/live-with-casey-11-16-2016

One does not have to be selective at Christmas when a full palette of hues are available for creative fun. Repetition in round shapes provide a contrast to the geometric lines of the plaid background in this illustration for a New York magazine.

Because of my love of history and cultural traditions, I’ve written books that are under consideration at several publishers. A good deal of my work focuses on holidays, those special days where the traditions of the past, family history and contemporary life intersect.

New for today, Pantone’s 2017 color of the year greenery provides a welcome healing backdrop for a country torn politically and culturally. The addition of a rosy pink creates a complementary color scheme; buttery yellows, coppers and golds create an analogous palette that I think will be a hit for weddings. When greenery graces the popular neutral decorating palettes; by changing the value and saturation, one can create a vibrant monochromatic color scheme.

In this watercolor inspired by Bouguereau’s Sheperdess, the warm earth background surrounds a cooler figure dressed in colors that mirror the sea horizon and boulders.

 You never know who you will run into on the plains. I discovered that my grandmother’s Webb family whose blacksmith shop has been recreated in Nauvoo, were relatives of William Shakespeare and some of the royalty of Europe. Putting that aside for the sake of the gospel, they were not too proud to race out and help rescue the Martin Willey handcart company stranded in the snow in Wyoming.

With that in mind, I created this invitation graphic for a Prairie Princess and Pioneer activity that I was in charge of that featured heirloom pioneer activities and refreshments.  The fonts are a vintage
 style and are both linear and organic.

Growing up in Carlsbad, California inspired me to love all things nautical. When presented with an assignment in a book arts class to create an altered environment (and access to an old dictionary in the recycling bin in class) I knew exactly where this would lead. After carving out the centers of the dictionary pages, I created an altered book diorama featuring 2 little mermaids, best friends named Shell and Pearl. I wrote a “nautobiography” about their lives in the village of Coralsbed. Although they considered boys to be urchins just showing off their mussels, they grew to appreciate their classmates as they learned to navigate the currents of life. I published this as a serial story on my website.

This is my publishing and broadcast history from the past few years, I have contributed to articles in US News and World Report, Fortune, Parents, Good Housekeeping and other media sites:

10/25/16              Celebrate German Heritage with Oktoberfest

10/4/2016         2 Recipes to celebrate the natural sweetness of honey

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664003/2-recipes-to-celebrate-the-natural-sweetness-of-honey.html?pg=all

 

Deseret News

 

3/16/2016          A St. Patrick’s Day dinner with a leprechaun garden, tiny vegetables and Irish soda bread

 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865650143/A-St-Patricks-Day-dinner-with-a-leprechaun-garden-tiny-vegetables-and-Irish-Soda-Bread.html?pg=all

                                               

Deseret News, BYU SiriusXM Radio 143, scholarshipeasy.com, scholarshipsin.net

 

2/23/16              These 2 simple things help ensure your relationship will last

 

http://newsok.com/these-2-simple-things-help-ensure-your-relationship-will-last/article/5481104?articleBar=1

 

FamilyShare, Bedford Times-Mail, NewsOK, Herald Times online, Statesboro Herald, Petoskey 

News, Daily American, Herald-Mail Media ((Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia), Aberdeen 

News, OurTown Johnstown, Central Kentucky News, Statesboro Herald, Santa Clarita Valley Signal,

Indonesia Post, The Washington Times, Bryan County News, Family How, Coastal Courier, assorted

blogs, BYU SiriusXM Radio 143

 

11/4/2015            8 ways to help your kids like each other

https://familyshare.com/family/8-ways-to-help-your-kids-like-each-other

8/26/2015            Ideas for a delightful late summer picnic

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865635320/Ideas-for-a-delightful-late-summer-picnic.html?pg=all

Deseret News

3/10/2015 A Greek-style pizza pie for Pi Day

2/18/2015            A dish to help celebrate Chinese New Year

http://www.tmnews.com/life/food/a-dish-to-help-celebrate-chinese-new-year/article_441467ad-851c-5f26-8039-1a08b98444df.html

Deseret News, News Ok, Bedford Times-Mail

1/26/2015            8 Lifestyle changes to expect after weight-loss surgery

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2015/jan/26/8-lifestyle-changes-expect-after-weight-loss-surge/

Victoria Advocate

03/16/2013         Renamed – We owe St. Patrick’s Day to pirates. Yes, pirates

Fun Alternatives for Trick-or-Treating by Kerri Zane