Following the theme of issue #34, we've compiled a list of 25 more artists who incorporate the theme of magic in their work or creative practice in some way. We hope you find inspiration in their explorations of the surreal, whimsical, and the divine.
1. Katie March
"Celebration of magic is rooted in my paintings. Not only the spirit of plant and animal, but celebration of the seasons, cycles that are innate within us. Living alongside a rich natural landscape has taught me this and inspires me to celebrate it all through my art."
2. Jalinka Gressmann
"Magic is everything. It's life and death, wondering, exploring, awareness, growth, energy, frequencies, vibrations, transformation, love, laughter, and most of all: creating!"
3. Claira Heitzenrater
"Magic fuels my everyday life and gives me purpose to dive deeper into the more esoteric side of our existence in this lifetime. I've always been interested in liminal spaces, and consider the thin veil between our world and that of spirits to be a particularly engaging space to explore in paint. As the veil waxes and wanes through the year, my landscape pieces reflect this in their reliance on reality (or lack thereof)."
4. Michelle Lee Rigell
"I decided on the title of my series “1000 Crane Project” because of the legend that 1000 cranes could grant a person one wish or eternal happiness. This has always been my focus when I create my crane paintings, and over the years, I’ve met so many people who have special memories involving origami cranes. And because cranes are so recognizable, I figured what better way to share that happiness and good fortune with my viewers."
5. Kim Tateo
"To me magic is everywhere. It is presence, feeling into the senses of the body, experiencing life and pausing enough to notice the subtleties of everything. Magic is one of the driving forces behind my work because the "world" of my work, is based on the heartspace of our interconnectedness. It is about the unseen space where all hearts are connected. It is meant to be the space the beings of our dreams see. I could never fully capture the beauty of these magical worlds, but I can try and express the emotions of joy, peace and dreaminess."
6. Melissa Gile
"Leaning into the concept of magic has given me a broader sense of connection with the universe, from the flowers and trees around me, to the spirit of my grandfather who recently passed away. I believe that I have a strong attunement to the magic around us as a result of my trauma, and this expresses itself via my work as visions of pictures I feel compelled to create."
7. Gabriela Sepulveda
"Magic is the word that encompasses my day to day living. In our home we live with intention. Words are magic (so be careful what you say out loud). respect nature and all that surrounds you. It is in my art because it is all around us. It is in the energies we give off to one another and that we put in our paintings."
8. Jessica Fraser
"To me magic is a feeling within. A feeling that there is something bigger happening that I can't quite understand. For instance when I see the moon on certain nights, incredible sunsets, moments with family and friends. It gives me a feeling that there is magic in this world and there's an energy that I feel within but I not sure how to hold on to it. The worlds I paint embody this feeling and gives me a chance to hold onto these magical moments and recreate them into a permanent space."
9. Michelle Schultz
"Magic to me is a belief that I am not alone in this world. I find it brings joy and meaning to the mundane and is magnified by the beauty of the natural world. In my art I paint atmospheres where my creations can exist truly as themselves without fear of judgement or pain. If you look closely you can often find reiki symbols hidden in paint. Magic and beauty can heal, and I always paint from that place of love."
10. Erin Kate Archer
Erin is a New York-based artist & illustrator with an ethereal, magical style. Her work calms, comforts, and transports. From immersive fairytale landscapes and glowing high-key celestial pieces, to charming flora & fauna and children’s book illustrations – Erin makes what was once a static image a tranquil visual journey.
11. Blair Iris
"I am a practicing witch and Psychic Artist. I try to create through my intuition and intention. Magic is a daily part of my life. Whether I am painting or reading someone's tarot cards I am always harnessing the energy that is out there to create or give clarity where it is needed."
12. Charlie J. Meyers
"Intuition is our most magical gift as creatives. This magical gift can be harnessed through meditation and music. I use these tools as inspiration for my abstract paintings and portraits. My sense of color comes from music. Since I was a child, I have experienced color synesthesia whenever I listen to classical music. I think the brain is pure magic and I am so grateful for all of it's idiosyncrasies. To be intuitive, means to listen to the deepest part of yourself, to be present. To be alive."
13. Katrina Niswander
"Magic, for me, is moving with intention yet releasing the need for control. I have always been someone who loves finding bits of magic every day. As I became a woman, I found immense value in working with moon cycles for goal setting and scheduling my work. I have also found comfort in rituals that connect me to the earth and the world around me within my solitary studio practice."
14. Joann Renner
"Magic is intangible while often showing up as tangible manifestations in our lives. That "gut feeling" that something is happening is one version, much like intuition. The marks an artist makes to bring a canvas to life, the gaze of a child into its mother's eyes, the cycle of life itself is a form of magic. When we appreciate the power of that magic, marvelous things can manifest. Conversely, focusing on the negative will increase its influence in our lives. I incorporate it into everything I create, like looking for the unseen experiences in a scene by accentuating shapes, colors and lighting or working on abstracts intuitively to see what emerges from the chaos."
15. Colleen Critcher
"My work has focused on consumer culture for years, but I realized that the pop icons I had chosen to document were expressing some relationship to a magical place - they were each mythical creatures that had it's origins in childhood. Why do we hold onto images of these magical beings long past childhood? Perhaps there is something meaningful that happens to the psyche when we imagine the impossible."
16. Lauren Altman
"Magic to me is the process of inner-alchemy. The process of giving form to the formless, expressing that which was once an under recognized murmur and transforming it into a realized work of art. Whether what is found within is a gem of wisdom or a sticky, less confident part, magic is the way in which I visually represent and name what is found in the inner world using of color and material."
17. Amy “Tovah” Shafran
"My artwork is an extension of an intuitive process where I dance with the magical wisdom of the divine and am guided by inherent symbols, animal guides, and spiritual reflections of my personal healing journey spanning from past lives and generations of vitality. To create is magical. To be able to listen, whole heartedly and become vulnerable, loving not only yourself but also your inherent creative authentic expressive voice gifted by the divine—that is truly magical."
18. ia Llamozas
"I like to incorporate nature elements in my works because its a reminder to go outside and enjoy nature. I also use a lot of old magazine images and to repurpose something into art always gives that element of surprise which to me is linked to magic."
19 Caterina Leone
"Magic is about taking control in a world that can otherwise seem hopeless and devoid of personal agency. It is a way of honouring our interconnection with everything around us, particularly the nature rhythms and cycles of nature."
20. Ingrid V. Wells
"My awareness of artmaking is centered around deep connection and an understanding of the impact of positive collective consciousness. We can only meet others as deeply as we meet ourselves and in the bigger picture of pursuing a move from individual growth to collective change, accessing higher vibrational energy becomes necessary. This channeling is most easily available when in a meditative state or when dialing into flow, which happens frequently in the studio although not exclusively. Remaining in a flow state for several hours everyday and protecting my energy is vital for creative innovation."
21. Sage Neon
"Magic is using materials that mother goddess blessed us with and having the wisdom and creativity to transform it through our individual awareness and experiences. I incorporate it into my work by setting affirmations for all my art pieces and using raw materials like handmade paper with dried herbs and flowers or using tree bark to make natural dyes and pigments."
22. Charity Troy
Charity Troy is an alchemist of emotions. She turns the emotions of life into beauty through intuitive paintings. By channeling her intuition she creates abstract expressionist paintings of feelings as they pass through her. Tapping into emotions is reaching the divine core of a person and placing these feelings on canvas for others to witness is a true sharing of who you are with the world. She sees feelings as the pure form of a person.
23. Laurén Magda
"My art aims to organically uncover mystical messages direct from Source energy while I am suspended in creative flow.These visual messages came forth as a result of deep contemplation on my individual soul and purpose. Previously under the ego-enforced pressures of societal systems and institutions, my artwork made a radical shift in 2019 from illustrative semi-realism to transcendental non-objective. I am deeply invested in the notion of healing, as well as the world of the unknown, which are the two major concepts juxtaposed in my work."
24. Pearl A. Sequeira
"Magic to me is about finding unexpected delights in regular day-to-day events. For me, this comes from reading a book to spending time in nature. I am transported into a space, removed from the concrete jungle of daily life, and feel supported by being part of an ecosystem. I incorporate these feelings by creating artworks that integrates storytelling through a series. Each piece can stand alone, and yet, put together, they tell a bigger story, much like an anthology of short stories, or elements of nature."
25. Katelynn Noel Knick
"Magic is the universal thread that connects all of us with everything in the universe, seen and unseen. It's the energy that drives us to create and tap in to our authentic spirit in the most loving, "meant to be" kind of way."
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Alicia Puig has been a contributing writer for Create! Magazine since 2017.
