wo good questions, for which I usually don't have any short answers. Many years ago, one of my aunts made an off-hand comment about me and my grid-based artwork; the nickname fit and stuck. Over the years, my artwork has changed, but the grid is still an important element and the name still fits. [The rigorous, Mondrian-like element evolved…] Click on the slide to the right to see a few samples of my artwork; for a full viewing and discussion, use the navigation buttons above.

So that’s the origin of the name, and a sneak peak at my artwork. Not surprisingly, I’ve also integrated the grid into my digital photography. I can trace my photo roots back to my high school darkroom days. While I enjoyed some success at that time, I somehow both wanted more and was also somewhat discouraged. I never really felt comfortable with stop baths, f-stops… oh just stop! It wasn’t until I purchased my first digital camera (a Nikon CoolPix 800) and taught myself to use Photoshop that I was finally able to concentrate on the creative possibilities of photography, not be limited by the technical obstacles. Click on this slide for samples; for a full viewing, use the navigation buttons above.

Another GridKid Production is my freelance graphics production studio under which I expanded the graphic, desktop publishing, and digital photography parts of my creative escapades. It started with designing my own business and greeting cards and after 9/11, I expanded into bookbinding and editorial graphics. This also resulted in one of my proudest accomplishments – my collaboration in the design, illustration, and production of a hand-bound, chapbook, “Stories From the Ruins,” a series of poems about the events of 9/11. “Ruins” has been accepted into the collections of both the Detroit Institute of the Arts and the Museum of Modern Art. Sample pages can be viewed at the poet's website: http://leekottner.com/Ruins.html.

Speaking of day jobs (well, I thought I did), most artists need at least one to make ends meet, especially if you live in New York City. While the down side of a "real" job is less time for one's own work, the up sides hopefully include: the opportunity to add to one's skills; a steady income; and, a less solitary existence. Click on this slide to view a few samples of my graphics portfolio; the full portfolio and a PDF of my resume can be accessed by the navigation button above.

It’s now time to touch on my more obsessive side. Green has been my favorite color for as long as I can remember. Accidentaly, it became an even greater accidental obsession when I covered my office walls with all things green (keychains, miniature toys, tools, etc.) Coinciding with my first thoughts about creating my web site, I expanded my collecting via the internet, incorporating color theory, song titles, etc. Click on this slide for samples.

My interest in grids is not limited to my creative endeavors. (I even found and photographed grids when I visited Stonehenge.) Click on this slide for a peek at the archives.

Art is as much about communication as making a product, and most of what happens on the internet is about communication. It’s still open to interpretation, possibilities, a work in progress. Is it a venue for presenting, cataloging, and selling art? A new medium, like photography; a tool, like a slide viewer; a profession like graphics?

That brings us to the end of my introduction to the GridKid portal and why I designed it – to show my artwork, share my research, and communicate my dual passions for grids and green. Feel free to contribute to any of the archives, tell me about something I’ve missed, or just to let me know what you think.