Lori on Mylar

Today in the studio I worked on some prints and I painted an egg with the fake chicken feet. It is part of "50 from life" that I agreed to do this year. I have done 4 so far with paint, several with pencil. (but I am only counting the painted ones). These life exercises, like my color work are separate from my vision. They are exercises to help me reach my vision. This learning will never stop- the carrot is on a stick.

It is biter dangerous cold- but the studio is warm and the coffee is hot. Yesterday at the studio I had people stopping by all day long. It is nice to have folks stop in- painting is a lonely adventure. The successes and the failures are each often so subtle that sharing the excitement or disappointment is not easy. We work alone.

The internet, with all of its flaws- and despite all the flaming- has united painters from all over the world in a way that has never been seen before in the whole history of art. With the sharing of ideas ranging from the technical to the deeper questions, we are being propelled toward greatness. I may never get there, but it sure is an exciting time for painting.

Painting through a midwest winter.

I already feel settled into my new space. It feels comfortable like a second skin. Just right! It still needs a bit of painting, mostly to lose the high chroma blue shelves and doors- but I like the way it is feeling.

I have done three little paintings from life in the room, several pencil sketches, played around with some walnut ink, and my 2008 self portrait is almost done. Not bad for January- normally my lowest production month, (due to all of the short grey days).

I have been closing my eyes and seeing beautiful paint. New ideas, combined with new learnings I think. Not looking back.

Love, Lori

An "Art Background"

I have explained many times why I do not publish my resume. Maybe it is because of my familiarity with commercial art, ( my husband's webpage) where demo reels are the only part of a resume that matter. But I do not think that a resume, listing shows and press would make my work any better or worse. I think that my work should speak for itself. Words are not part of my process. And while intent is part of the process. I figure that if I need words to explain my intent for a picture, then I have failed.

If you did see my resume, you would find that it does include press- in New York City even.

Anyway- I found these pictures recently, and thought that they were fun. These are me at my first gallery show. It was a solo show at the Mode Zero Gallery, 1985. Looking at these paintings, it is easy to see why learning is so important. They also prove the value of my summer bonfires.

Scary latenight posting.

I hesitate to post this work in progress. I have shown it to some of my online artist friends- where it received an icy response. No response at all, really. Other than the pose being a surprise. When ever I show my friends and they say nothing at all, that tells me a lot. I have a lot of work to do.

This is my 2008 self portrait, a work in progress, (WIP).

I have not yet achieved what I am reaching for here- but feel that I am on my way. It will have the whole week on the easel, so expect changes.

Also, don't be surprised if this post disappears here, and on the forum where it is posted too- am feeling a little naked with this one :-)

Another move...good-bye, great space!

Another year, another move. This is my fourth, and last studio in the building. Not only am I tired of moving, but the building is filling up. I heard that there are only 11 more spaces available, and all of them are way too small for me. Here is a recap of the time since moving into the Arts Park in June of 2005:

My first studio was up on the very lonely third floor. When I moved in, there was hardly anyone in the whole building. No one on the second floor, just one guy in the basement and one woman in the tower. I would often go a week or two with out seeing a person anywhere. The huge old building was empty and creepy. I stayed in the first studio for 6 months.


Then the tower was offered to me. It was actually smaller than my studio, but felt bigger, with more windows and a private bathroom. I loved it in the tower, but at 13x13, it was too small. Being up on the third floor was lonely and it was hard for some to visit my studio. I stayed in the tower for a year, and when a space was made available to me in the garden level, I was delighted to move downstairs.


I have been very happy for another whole year in my large garden level studio. I did some really great paintings here. The light is perfect. Everything about it is perfect. But, it is so large and so well placed on the front of the building, I just kept thinking that it needed to be used for classes, that it was too large for just one painter. It is the biggest rentable space in the building, and having so much space was messing with my head. This wonderful studio will now house the Foreign Language Network.

I am moving in across the hall- the room is smaller, (about half the size of my last studio) and the light will need a lot of work, but the space is just exactly the right size. I have a lot to do, yet- moving in. But I have painted one little study here already.

Stop by and say hello when you are in the building- I will be happy to show you around. I will post some more pictures when I get moved in.

Who is an Artist? What does it mean? Does it mean anything at all anymore?

This post has been heavily edited from it's original. The first one was a bit cryptic, and when I re-read it,(a week later) I realized that it did not say what I was trying to say.

This post was started when I over heard someone explaining to another person that someone was not an artist because they have no "Art Background". That was the only reason given- no Art background.

That is exactly why I like to call myself a painter. The word artist is so over used that anyone can use it, and then again- no one can.

There are so many people with all the words on paper needed to call themselves "fine Arteest", thinking that the paper is the only thing that is required. They might even be done learning!

Then there are those who rely only on their personality and have never looked at a study of any kind. I think that personality has little, if anything, to do with the visual language of painting.

Painter suits me fine- it fits.

Lakeside Legacy Arts Park

This movie was created for the Donor Appreciation dinner at the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park, where my studio is housed. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Time to get back to work now.

It is cold and white here. A good time to put the nose to the grindstone. I have color to learn. Not color formulas but color understanding.

One of the reasons that I am a good cook is that I understand the ingredients and know how to break the rules. I am doing color exercises and reading color rules to understand color as ingredients. Working to paint the way that I cook- with real understanding.

I have been studying color for years, and expect to be studying color for the rest of my life. Learning never stops, and especially with a complicated subject like color. Otherwise you are left growing older- still painting garish bright colored paintings with hard edges and no composition.