I love to create because it is foundational to who I am. It’s a process that renews me. I would be lost with some creative outlet.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
Currently, it is poetry. I published a book of 50 poems in November, 2025. But I am very adept at clay, making a broad range of ceramics ranging from ceramic drums, of which I have made over 400, to slipware, an artisanal method, to mosaics of biodiversity, functional pottery, and now spherical sculptures of several kinds. I also have high aptitude for music and do photography for my own work and my book. I am writing a second book . Since I got cancer and major back surgery, writing pays bills
Where do you find inspiration?I find my biggest inspiration from nature. Whether is writing, sculpting or creating mosaics, I find nature and natural processes most closely parallels my own creative journey. For example, I have a collection over 150 molds from which I make tiles for mosaics and jewelry. These are 1 of a kind molds collected over 40 years on five continents of small living things. A marine isopod; a shrimp from Hudson Bay; a tiny lizard from Japan; fungus from woods in Maryland, plants from Africa. A Turtle.
What would you do with $25,000?I would use it to go to Europe and set up a base(s) of operations from which I could work. Studio for process. Quarters for sleeping and cooking. A quiet place for writing. I picture some place in France or Germany or the UK or Ireland.
Vote for Robert Strasser to become The People's Artist while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting The Art of Elysium in their mission to use art as a catalyst to help people triumph over difficult life challenges.
Colossal is a nationally registered professional fundraiser that inspires people to advocate for themselves and those in need. Through online competitions like The People's Artist, Colossal offers participants the opportunity to make their mark while also making a big impact.
