Robert and Su.Sane Hake are visionary artists who collaborate under the name Clarity.  They see see art making --painting, writing, teaching -- as a connection to a higher realm.  Their artistic works are visible messages from the sacred.

        Their paintings can consist of intricately worked abstract patterns which they believe have an affect on our unconscious processing as well as figurative paintings which are designed to help people connect with a time and place to evoke a joyful or peaceful shift in one's inner mood and perspective.

        The Hakes see no separation between God and creativity.  All of their work is designed to stimulate playful or creative responses.  "Artists play with what they're doing, art is adventure, says Robert, "and it's built in for children  When people get older, creativity doesn't doesn't have much value.  People's inner selves take a back seat.  It's only supposed to come out on the weekends maybe if you can get around to it.  When life becomes more creative, you become passionate about your life and aligned with who you really are."

           They see the Divine in every toy because toys connect people to childhood, "that time when you play and the whole world falls away. When you see or play with a toy you travel back to that time, get closer to yourself and that time in your life. It’s a healing place where the world’s judgment falls away — so that you can know yourself better".  Su notes that by the time kids become adults they are frequently the last person they trust. "So much has happened to cause us to become on guard, to be full of patterns not really us.  We don't even know ourselves.  You have to un-peel so many false patterns to get to your own spun gold."  Trusting oneself is a critical element of being able to think imaginatively and creatively, particularly in an increasingly complicated world. "How do you know that is the real place of you?  How do you know what thoughts are real and what thoughts aren't real?"

        Toys are frequently used in their work, particularly their assemblages, as a means of stimulating creativity, imagination, openness, curiosity and simplicity.    These elements of life are at their peek in childhood.  By using toy pieces they hope people can quickly return to that place before issues of the outer world began building on them.  "People think it's an indulgence to remember their tales, their childhood, but that's when they were most in touch", says Robert.  "We use primary colors because they penetrate the mind faster."

       Their work with abstract patterns takes longer, is more serious for them, and comes from a deeper place than their (toy) assemblages and soft sculpture, which are "quick trips".  They believe their patterns can take people to a place where each person’s soul can relate to the spiritual patterns and messages in the art. A place where "the Divine Self can work with why you are here, what you are doing, what you’re about" and "where you can see yourself outside of what the world says and shift out of (self) limitation".

        The Hakes have been working together as a team for 18 years.  Before this, Su.Sane had an early brush with art fame via a business she started as a way to bring in some extra money to a family farm while she was at home raising five children. She grew herbs and flowers which she dried and arranged and used to make wreaths and other decorative objects.

        With the encouragement of then Governor’s wife, Phyllis George Brown,  Su.Sane was soon selling her work to celebrities. We love hearing that Andy Warhol loved her pot pouri.   Eventually, her beautiful hats decorated with dried flowers and ribbons become an icon in brochures for the state of Kentucky. The state even sent Su.Sane’s work as a gift to Princess Diana when she married.

        Su.Sane’s business — Valley Hill — grew  250 varieties of herbs and flowers on 12 acres, had been featured in Southern Accents and several other national magazines, and her family was one of 3 chosen by Better Homes & Gardens as a family exemplifying the "Spirit of America" (1983).   Valley Hill became the largest employer in the area. "It was a Cinderella story for the State."  But, a materialistic approach to her business by others eventually caused her to decide that her life needed to change.

        Robert was already selling his art when he met Su.  He had been intrigued by his experiences-- "once it’s (art) selling, it has it’s own synergy, rotating and moving and carrying the artist along."  He pursued metaphysical studies and became interested in gems and gem elixirs, "It was about properties beyond being a rock and what energy could give people". One week he announced to no one in particular "I want to find the rest of me." The next week he met Su.Sane.

        They met when he attended a metaphysical fair where Su.Sane was selling flower essences she had made at her first fair. Shortly beforehand, a book on Gem elixirs had fallen on Robert’s head—as books do sometimes when they want your attention—and he saw the same book out of the corner of his eye at Su.Sane’s booth.  Initially skeptical with her flower essences, Su.Sane  challenged his thinking.  Robert says with twinkly eyes, "I knew".  About meeting him, Su.Sane says, "There was a wholeness, I knew immediately, we heard the same sounds, it was the same voice—I recognized it".

        They began working with a shaman together and instantly began channeling art at the same time. They say together they drew things they’d never created individually and that this happened very quickly. A process soon unfolded which they describe: