Artist

The partnership between humanitarians Karla Leopold, art therapist, and Sister Judith Brun, founder of Neighbor’s Keeper, a nonprofit group in Baton Route, Louisiana, has been years in the making. First meeting as child well-being responders after Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact on New Orleans, they quickly bonded in service of softening the impact on families. Soon…

Wordsmiths — poetic and lyrical — rejoice! Forums for your work are expanding to include Idyllwild Storytellers, a monthly series hosted by performing poet Brian Michael Tracy. This time-honored tradition places storytelling in all forms squarely in the center of an eclectic gallery at a time when spoken word and song craft have much to…

Jen Hajj doesn’t remember a time before she began singing. From a young age, it was among her favorite activities. “I use music to express beauty by telling stories that move me or to appreciate something simple, even stunning,” muses the Idyllwild lyricist and performing artist, who adds, “I have a strong feminist bent and…

It’s mystifying when the forces of nature come together to create a dynamic whose time has come. Women moving into self-determination on a global scale is one such example. The emergence of Germany’s Leica Camera Company resulting in “the Freedom Train” during WWII, establishing a progressive culture for more than 100 years, is another. As…

Idyllwild working artists Donna Elliot and Neil Jenkins bring a unique purview to life. Both global travelers, mountain climbers and ardent hikers, this dynamic duo now direct their broad-spectrum imagination and focus to include multi-medium art. Elliot is originally from St. Louis, and Jenkins hails from Wales. They originally settled in Idyllwild to be close…

Southern California native Rob Padilla’s wicked imagination sees a world awash in color and amplified with near palpable sound. Not what you’d call silent art, his brush literally strokes the senses, rendering and amplifying, scoring harmonics with electric vibrance. “When you understand it (Padilla’s art), your eyes open and the canvas invites you into a…

“When the plot line for ‘Heaven on the Loose’ first introduced itself about five years ago, I thought it was a funny notion,” muses Idyllwild resident Ken Luber, who adds, “Living and being barraged by ‘our global reality’ challenges hopefulness.” “In our story, God expresses as two energies: the Almighty Creator, aka Izzy, and His Holy…

Idyllwild artist Carlos Reynosa is no stranger to fame on a scale few attain. But let’s start at the beginning. Born in Williams, Arizona, a middle child in a family of 12, Reynosa hails from a diverse heritage. His father, of Yaqui lineage, migrated from Sinaloa, Mexico, to Williams as a young man and married…

“Life always gives more than it takes away,” mused Gary Kuscher with a wistful glance. Born into a family of artists, his parents both Broadway actors, Kuscher majored in music, he even blew the sax with Ernie Watts — but piano was his first love. “While I can no longer caress my piano with that…