When Randy Sweitzer isn’t teaching AP Art & Design or digital illustration at Grayslake North, he’s busy modeling what it means to lead a creative life. This fall, Sweitzer’s latest piece, a mixed-media portrait inspired by found photography, personal symbolism, and the quiet beauty of the Midwest, was selected for the Recent Works juried exhibition at the Robert T. Wright Gallery at the College of Lake County.
The piece blends hand-drawn ink illustrations, torn and collaged together, with layered photographs taken during Sweitzer’s frequent hikes through local forest preserves. Subtle but deliberate, the work evokes what he describes as a “lonely prairie field” feeling, an emotional undercurrent that appears across much of his personal art.
One striking feature is a simple cord woven into the composition, inspired by time spent knot-tying in scouts with his sons. “I’m intrigued by how knots can both hold things together and restrict,” he said. “There’s a juxtaposition there, connection and constraint, that I keep coming back to.”
Though Sweitzer spent 25 years as a professional illustrator, his journey into fine art is relatively new. “Illustration is about the final image. Fine art is about the object itself, how it’s made, how it feels in a space,” he explained. “It’s been good to feel uncomfortable again, and I’ve shared that openly with my students.”
For him, the real reward isn’t just being accepted into a juried show, it’s demonstrating to students what creative risk looks like in real life.
“We ask students to put themselves out there all the time,” he said. “So I do the same. I show them my work, my process, and sometimes even my frustration. I want them to see that art isn’t about perfection, it’s about curiosity, vulnerability, and joy. It’s about embracing the idea that we’re always unfinished, and that’s where the magic is.”
Sweitzer’s piece will remain on display through October 30 at the Robert T. Wright Gallery. The exhibition is free and open to the public Monday through Saturday.