Local Artists in Libertyville and Surrounding Areas

Hendricks, an LHS grad, works as a graphic designer, creating for many companies, including the Adler Arts Center in Libertyville. He carries the arts into his free time by painting and writing music. 

What inspiration do you take from your local surroundings?  Local surroundings definitely are a big source of content inspiration, particularly around dusk when the light is changing quickly as the sun fades. Even the most unassuming scenes take on a new life for a brief time before the sun sets. A lot of my work is either a direct representation of or an interpretive take on the rich life of ...

Paulette is a painter based in Buffalo Grove. She has made her passion for art into a career and paints and draws using different media such as oils, pastels and watercolors. 

What inspiration do you take from your local surroundings?  I am a painter and I find potential paintings everywhere I look.  The dramatic way light and shadow fall on a common building or landscape.  People especially interest me because each face is beautiful in its own way.  Working from life is the most exciting but I do use photographs that I take to capture a fleeting shadow or expres...

Leisa is an army veteran from Saint Louis, Missouri. After working as an art teacher for seven years, she moved to Waukegan, where she continues her passion of creating art. 

What inspiration do you take from your local surroundings?  Local surroundings inspire most of my artwork. I’ve done many paintings inspired by the northern Illinois landscape and the mountains of the American west. Last year I did a series on the rocky coasts and waves of Monterey, California. This year I did a series on the interesting people I’ve met in all the places I’ve lived &nbs...

Bock is an established artist who has been creating portraits for over 25 years and gets her main inspiration from her clientele. She splits her time between Milwaukee and Chicago. 

What inspiration do you take from your local surroundings?  I feel very lucky to live in Lake County, which offers many beautiful outdoor locations, as well as city scenes. I love figures, especially people going about their business, caught in the midst of life. That is why I also love portraiture! As an avid outdoors person, I am captivated by sparkling light and shadow on landscapes in the ...

Darlys is a metalsmith based in Chicago.  Her work is constructed using metal sheet and colored using chemical patina processes. She teaches workshops on metalsmithing, design and patination techniques and has earned many awards and grants for her work.  

What inspiration do you take from your local surroundings?  I am inspired by forms observed in nature, the flow of the landscape, and poetry. Sometimes random words will spark an idea that I wish to pursue. Are you self-taught or did you study art? If you studied, where did you go to school? I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Drake University and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Indiana University.   What are the goals for your career? It is important for me to ke...

Dianne Kittle is a photographer from California. She has traveled and found inspiration all over the world. Now she is based in Chicago, where she teachers fine art nature photography at the Chicago Botanic Garden. 

What inspiration do you take from your local surroundings?  My art develops from everyday observations and experiences. I make the invisible, visible by striving to be present in a world full of digital distractions. I am inspired to create photos of my reaction to the world –– my inner landscape. Abstracting the mundane is fascinating. My inspiration can be found in a local forest preserv...