Lorie’s Story

I have always wanted to be an artist. I was the ‘art kid’ in school and I went on to study art at WKU for one year before getting married and starting my family. Once married, I put life and family before my dreams of being an artist for several years.

In 2004 I was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. This was a defining moment for me. Upon believing my death to be imminent, my greatest regret was not anything I had done, it was what I had not done. PAINT!

The year before, I had enrolled in an acrylic painting class in the Barren County Community Education program to get my brushes wet again. I was learning acrylic painting techniques by copying from photos in magazines or other material that we would bring to class. The instructor, John Wing, was always encouraging the students to change the composition…to make the paintings our own.

If I was going to make it my own, what would I paint? I would paint what I loved, found beautiful, or found intriguing.  All things in MY experience that had made me stop and take note to wonder. I have often heard other artists say they didn’t know what else to paint. Not me! I look with my heart and soul, as well as my eyes, and I look for the moment it feels like a tuning fork, vibrating my soul. Those things, or moments, make wonderful subjects to paint, and they are mine.

I have been an avid admirer of Kentucky wildflowers and the beautiful places where they grow, all my life.  Both star as wonderful subject matter in many of my works. The white bark of a sycamore tree reflected in the creek; leafless walnut trees silhouetted against the sky, offering their fruits to heaven and earth; yellow lady slippers in the half-light of the forest…these can all be seen in my paintings. I will always remember the way lights reflected off the wet streets of Caracas, Venezuela during the wet season. The more I painted, the more I noticed the play of light and how it changed the color and mood of a subject.

How would I paint? Without fear. I would no longer fear that others would find my art lacking. I would no longer fear where to start. I had enough of fear in my life; it would not stand at my easel with me. I would not allow it.

I would also paint boldly. That translated to bright vibrant color, dramatic lighting and often large canvas. Whatever made it onto the canvas was going to be good; I would learn from the process itself.

During this whole time of artistic discovery, I prayed to God to not let a brain tumor kill me. He heard and answered my prayer. What if there had been no brain tumor? Would I have continued to skim along on the surface of my life, never grabbing hold of my dream? Painting at this time in my life became as essential as taking a breath. It seemed that all events were leading me to follow my dream of being an artist. Art is a spiritual thing with me even though I do not paint religious subject matter. It is about that moment of impact when you recognize the value of something on your soul.

Soon, other people started to notice my work and recognize it as mine because of how I used color and light. I paint big, bold, beautiful wildflowers and native trees, often using an acrylic glazing technique with a little impasto thrown in. Cityscapes rendered in rich texture with a pallet knife show this technique. Pastels are fast becoming a favorite medium for plein air work.

I also work in mixed media, which gives my work a three-dimensional aspect. Thrown away objects find their way into my works as design elements. There is an overriding theme of flow in this type of work for me; flow of water, emotion, light, color and space. We throw away an amazing amount of resources that, with a keen eye on the elements of design, can become art. These designs are often abstract as they are the product of experimentation and whimsy. They are some of my favorite pieces because they are pure, intuitive creations, and they keep “stuff” out of our landfills and waterways.

I teach Acrylic Painting for the Barren County Community Education Program, Allen County Community Enrichment Program, and belong to Artworks, Inc. of Bowling Green, the Scottsville Art Guild, and the Guild of the Barrens.