Delving Into The Intuitive

Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: October 2024

No doubt you’ve been to the Ugly Dog Pub, brainchild of Kay and Thomas Craig (interior designer and architect).

It’s a Highlands icon, remarkable in every way. A child of the Craig’s would have to be exceptional too, right?

Absolutely! And, that child, daughter Leah Grace, superseded the exceptional. She leapt right into incomparable.

When Leah Grace was a toddler, her creativity bubbled, though not in a casual-kid way. More like raring-to-go manner. She drew murals on walls. She unleashed a crayonic explosion on a brand new living room couch. Kay counted to 10, well, maybe a 1000. But she and Thomas still encouraged Leah Grace to keep those creative productions coming, only on more conventional surfaces.

Later, Leah Grace’s parents got her into Rabun Gap School (an elite school focused on the arts). Even though she loved drawing and painting, she thought ahead to a more practical career: theatrical set design.

Then, what seemed a horrible interruption of the world itself turned out to be a godsend: Covid19.

Wait. What?

Leah Grace says, “That disruption gave me a year to take a breath and discover that fine art was my true direction. So I transferred to SCAD, Savannah College of Art and Design campus in Atlanta.”

And she never looked back. She’s now finishing her final quarter in painting and print-making for her degree.

She’s grateful for all her educational experiences which were, in essence twofold.

Leah Grace Craig

Part one, she absorbed the academic, technical, traditional, historical aspects of Art at Rabun Gap and SCAD.

Part two was just as intrinsic to her educational experience: the social, which shone brightly in Highlands. It was on the Plateau that she delved into the intuitive, exchanging concepts and feelings with regional artists. That tapped into her dreamwork, and further, use of art to influence others. All of this was a discovery of the compelling power of art.

The October issue’s cover reflects her introspection, the images seen on an internal stage which she opened up to through readings, encounters with women, artists, professors, much of it focusing on the feminine. It’s a fusion of real life and dream life.

She says, “In that, the Divine can always be found.”

Now, she focuses on finishing her degree, continuing her active gallery work, and exploring connections – all kinds of connections. She’s a woman who believes every door is never really closed, and she’s all about opening every one.

To learn more about Leah Grace’s journey, visit her website at: leahgracecraig.com and Instagram at le.craig.