The Raw Artist Gallery is located in Rensselaer, IN. - two hours north of Indy and 90 minutes south-east of Chicago. The Raw Artist Gallery showcases the works of Michel Keck.

“Keck’s expansive surfaces command the attention of passers-by, reward the focus of new as well as seasoned collectors and transform a static wall into a crystal ball. Few creations rival the pure power, active style and personal impact of Keck’s work”, that is how John Yimin, advisor/caretaker of The Ioema Collection, reacts to the work of self-taught artist Michel Keck.

Michel Keck, a.k.a. The Raw Artist®, is a self-taught, abstract painter from the mid-west. While Michel has been creating art in various forms throughout her life it was not until 2003, after having reversed several serious health conditions, that she started creating her art on a full-time basis.

In a fairly short period of time, Keck accomplished unheard of achievements as a self-representing artist. Selling her works via methods that most in the art world deemed “unconventional”, Keck garnered the attention of astute art collectors around the world. By the end of 2006 Keck sold over 1,500 original paintings to art collectors throughout the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Ireland, Chile, France, Italy, Austria, Portugal, Greece, Norway, Malta, Puerto Rico and the Arab Emirates.

Keck works in a wide variety of mediums. When viewing Keck’s portfolio for the first time one is under the belief that the works presented are the creations of several talented artists. The diverse collections however are the efforts of just one.

“The creative process for me is one that is both automatic and emotional. A lot of my works focus on the struggle between good and evil… dark and light. With almost every painting or mixed media work I create, I come to a point of complete and utter frustration with the work. One minute I‘m in the studio cursing like a drunken sailor… an hour later I’m looking down at the same work saying, “absolutely perfect!”. The real ‘art’ for me in the creation process is the fact that I don’t rip the work to shreds before I complete it.”

Internally driven, and emotionally charged, Michel's works have been described as "dark yet uplifting simultaneously". Explosive abstracts, mixed media collage art, recycled art, spiritual paintings and her intricate and obsessive circle drawings are just some of the styles you will uncover when you delve into the world of The Raw Artist.

Keck’s works have been exhibited in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Indianapolis, High Point, and Las Vegas.

"Michel Leah's work is truly unique. Often you see an artist's work and your first thought is "it's derivative." It reminds you of Pollack, Klee, Scarlett or Miro. This is not the case with Michel Leah. In addition to being wholly original, her work is powerful, exudes emotion and can be, at times, both dark and uplifting simultaneously. We own one of her works and I know that we will come to own more. Michel is also an inspirational person when one looks at the challenges she has faced in her life. Her experiences clearly come out through her art. To me there is no art more exciting than that which is new, different and being created by "outsider" artists who eschew the gallery system, push the outside of the envelope and, further, not only create outside the box but have thrown that box in the trash. One does not have to read my comments to be convinced of Michel's talent - her work speaks far louder than I." --- J. Johnson, Mill Valley, California

Check out Keck's other web sites....

• www.therawartistgallery.com - slideshow portfolio of Keck's art
  
• www.myspace.com/therawartist - Keck's blog on myspace
  
• www.rawandjuicy.com - Keck's raw food web site