"Random Thoughts" is one of the smaller works from Cheryl H. Kinderknecht’s Turquoise & Copper Series (2020). Combining layers, recurring patterns, lines and marks within a limited color palette, the Turquoise & Copper Series invites the viewer to explore and disappear into the various shapes and shades of copper and turquoise. A mixed media artist, Kinderknecht received an undergraduate degree in art from Fort Hays (KS) State University. Regardless of medium or subject matter, her work is influenced by the colors, patterns, and visual textures of the Great Plains where she grew up. Emotions, dreams, symbolism, and memories further anchor and inform her work. Over the years, Kinderknecht’s vision and artwork have been increasingly impacted by retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative retinal condition. Kinderknecht says, "The creative process has always energized me and continuing to create art despite vision challenges makes me feel connected, grounded and relevant in my own life and within the world.