For Kathryn Schnabel, the challenge of expressing a mystery, dream, or emotion has always been a source of inspiration.

Her creative career began in the advertising agencies of Chicago, where she developed an affinity for understanding what conceptual approach would work well for a client. A chance meeting with 82 year-old Hungarian artist John Boesze, would take her on another path, learning the art form of hand-cut stained glass mosaics.

"My skills in idea development transferred well to commissioned glass mosaics, and I found myself creating artwork around ethereal concepts such as ‘unity’, ‘grief’, 'faith', and the beauty of nature."

When she moved from stained glass to textile paintings, she continued to work in the realm of spirit, intuition, and mystery. Her abstract work evokes the vibrant colors of stained glass while holding the essence of her subject. This energy radiates out from her artwork, and she continues to receive commission requests from patrons who want an artwork that communicates a spirit or emotion that words can’t express.

Her connection to the power of art and creativity is further shared with her work as a life coach, or ‘Creativity Encourager’, as she prefers to call it. She offers engaging art workshops for mid to later life adults, helping to expand their self-awareness and foster confidence in their own inner wisdom.

Poster credit to Sara Krajewski, 2019 Wisconsin Art Educator of the Year.