Like a real kaleidoscope, Toby's art is created with a burst of color, symmetry of design and motion all captured in "The Artists Kaleidoscopic World".  Her goal in creating work is to intrigue each person by drawing their eye into the piece of art, while holding it there so they may see all of the intricate detail. 

"As a young child I always enjoyed art in school. 
I fell in love with watercolor and pen & ink in high school," says Klein. "My lifelong dream was to paint fluid watercolors like a classmate of mine."

Originally from Memphis, Klein moved to Alabama in her thirties. There she worked for an architectural design firm, doing space planning and drafting plans for furniture installations.

After raising her family she left her job in the design field and decided to pursue her dream by taking a few watercolor classes from some local artists. Although she admired the artists, the classes were focused on painting what the instructor had demonstrated.  Klein had always been drawn to different and unusual pieces of art, so she determined to develop her own style.

"Even though I loved working in pure watercolor and drawing with pen & ink," says Klein, "my desire to experiment was greater.  I liked the idea of floating my work, so I began to add layers and my process began to change.  I found that I liked multiple heights and layers on top of layers as my collages became deeper.  I felt that it added additional interest to my work to build it up into a three-dimensional collage."  (collage above is titled "Hanging by a Thread")

A mixed media artist, Klein creates contemporary work that ranges from different degrees of abstraction and experimental to representation. Although you'll also find softness and curves in her work, Klein credits her drafting background with her interest in geometric shapes and sharp, clean lines.

Her images use great color, design & technique in unique and compelling ways.



"Crossing Time and Space"

"I am primarily an experimental artist working in mixed media & collage.  I consider my work to be contemporary in style and I use a variety of water media. I create color, depth & texture with my hand-dyed & painted papers, textured and embossed metals, fused glass and fibers which are layered and built up into a three-dimensional collage.  I sometimes use other small items if it completes the overall design."

"I get excited over little things like tiny watch parts, pieces of musical instruments, the inner workings of a computer, colorful textured fibers, a new type of paper or paint to work with, even a piece of rusted metal from the street," says Klein.

I love a story about Klein from Watercolor Magazine - a man once gave her a trumpet that had been run over by a truck. She took off the valves and used them in a collage.

Selected as the Artist for "Southern Voices" at the Hoover Library, Klein will have a one person exhibit in the Friends Gallery in February and March. Her awards are too numerous to list in their entirety. She was awarded the Medal of Honor by the National Association of Women Artists, the Most Innovative Award in the Creative Catalyst Production Exhibition and was a four-time finalist in The Artist's Magazine's annual arts competition.

"Dancing Colors"

Though Klein has won medals, been featured in solo exhibitions and publications, has taught workshops and seen her art placed in numerous corporate and private collections she says,
"Nothing compares with seeing the smile on my patrons' faces as they view my art."