The artwork of Robert Grace was on display at a recent open house in downtown Excelsior Springs. With over 30 pieces of artwork on display, former Excelsior Springs resident Grace said the inspiration for his work began when a friend demonstrated tips and tricks of the trade. Grace soon realized he had to find his style. “I like photo secessionist,” said Grace. “The single-point photos with a grainy look inspired me.” Grace attended a seminar early in his career that demonstrated painting on black canvas and decided to create a piece resembling the late-century photo secessionist portraits in pastels. “Around eight hours later, my first piece embodying that inspiration was created,” he said. The piece was intended to be a Mother’s Day gift, but when he brought it to work, someone noted it was the best thing Grace had ever created. “I responded to the photo secessionists’ pictures. There must have been something within myself resonating with what I saw and my work reflected that,…