Maori Sakai featured August 2020 | See August writing prompts here.
Sakai is an illustrator based in Japan and "imbues a bit of whimsy into otherwise mundane scenes through her delicately illustrated animations . . . and capture[s] simple movements: a record spinning on a turntable, rain falling outside a window." (Information via Colossal.)  ​  Many of Sakai’s short animations, in addition to glimpses into her process, can be found on Instagram and Tumblr.   
Tawny Chatmon featured July 2020 | See July writing prompts here.
These works are from two different series.  But "Redemption," Chatmon's most recent work, intrigued me for its regality and for its celebration of "Black hair, features, life, and culture."  Read more about "Redemption," its allusions to Klimt's "Golden Phase," and see her other series at tawnychatmon.com   Click thumbnails to see full images.
Featured June 2020 | See June writing prompts here. 
(1) "Lost in the Shuffle" Calida Garcia Rawles 
(2) "Coffee at Casselle's" Wangari Mathenge 
​(3) "Dibou Keudjou Weup" Kassou Seydou. 
Colossal and Artsy are two online forums that seek out and host new artworks. Artsy featured "These Emerging Black Artists are the Future of Figurative Painting" here.  At at a time when it's most important to "rehumanize" the perception of Black bodies, I wanted to celebrate this work. Click thumbnails to see full images.  
Regine Verougstraete, Pam Brunell, and Brian Dobrich featured May 2020 | See May writing Prompts ​here.
Regine's flowering persimmon tree has since provided fruit.  And Li'l Two Kanzz (aka Chaz) the attitudinal cat from Long Island  is no longer with us in this realm, but he is forever memorialized in this month's PoetryBones banner. Click thumbnails to see full images.
Brenda McCaffrey featured April 2020 |  See April writing prompts here.
McCaffrey grew up in Hawaii where she attended Punahou School and the University of Hawaii.  She went on to complete the PhD in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University, the Advanced Management program at Chicago Booth, and founded a global semiconductor test company.  In addition to her passion in poetry, she works extensively in tech invention, media arts, dance and movement.  The works featured here  are experiments in iPad, blackout poetry.  Her written poetry has been accepted for an upcoming publication in Narrative.  She lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her husband and a sweet old golden retriever.  Click thumbnails to see full images.
Tim and Roy Merello featured April 2020 | See April writing prompts here.
Tim and Roy are a father and nine-year-old son poetry team, making the most of Quarantine 2020.  Tim created word tiles from food and gardening magazines, featuring exciting and exotic words.  Then the two of them created several "improv poems."  Roy's are featured below.  Click thumbnails to see full images.
Lynn McWilliam featured March 2020 | See March writing prompts here.
McWilliam is an original member of the PoetryBones writing group. Originating from Canada and now in remote France, she recalls her writing and art-making history. “I have loved drawing, colours, and writing since I first picked up a mark-making instrument in my left hand but was kind of eclipsed by my brother who was to be 'the artist' in the family (as if there was only room for one).  I have a big green chest of long flat drawers designed to store maps into which I stuff paints, brushes, sketch books, photographs, and magazine clippings. Every once in awhile it explodes, and I make something.  As I age, I feel even more need to create – for fun and to rediscover the amazement I first felt dabbing marine blue onto a white piece of paper.”   Click thumbnails to see full images.
Nikkole Huss featured February 2020 | see February writing prompts here. 
Nikkole Huss, M.F.A., studio art, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is a visual artist and Professor of Art at Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, Illinois.  Shifting back and forth between intersecting regions of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, fiber, sculpture and installation, various connections are made to the fragility and vulnerability of nature.  See the Alphabet series here and her most recent work, Vanishing Landscapes and National Natural Landmarks, here.   Click thumbnails to see full images.
Regine Verougstraete featured January 2020 | See January writing prompts here.
Verougstraete is a Belgium born artist who uses her art for spiritual growth since 1986. Today, journaling with images is the bulk of her personal work.  It is a daily practice of meditation, image making, self reflection and healing, towards more presence and delight to be alive.  Regine’s professional artwork has shown in galleries and museums in Europe and the United States.  Click on thumbnails to see full images.
Jake Stiel featured December 2019 | See December writing prompts here.
​Stiel is a nature photographer, tradesman, Jiu Jitsu fighter and trainer, and all around Renaissance man.  His practice of mindfulness, gratitude, and stoic principles allow him to pare away the noise and be available for when nature reveals itself in all its resplendent amazingness. Follow his instagram @jstiel2.  ​Click on thumbnail to see full image.
Cristi Lopez featured November 2019 | See November writing prompts here.
Lopez is a Gainesville, Florida native living and creating in Chicago.  She expresses psychological states of being through allegorical imagery.  Lopez’s illustrations, paintings, and portraits have been exhibited in galleries across the US and abroad, with works also in private collections, including a portrait done for author Amy Tan.  Follow her instagram at @cristi.lopez.s
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John Voris featured October 2019 | See October writing prompts here.
Voris is a high school art teacher, photographer, videographer, and sculptor. Follow his instagram @johnvorisart.  This work appears by permission of John Voris.  Click thumbnail to see full image.
ColossalBean featured September 2019 | See September writing prompts here.
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copyright 2019 c.stiel all rights reserved. i earnestly try to attribute images, poems, and video to their creators and original sources. contact to correct an attribution or to have a work removed.