Monday, November 16, 2009

Working toward my Spring solo show...


Hello friends,
I am working hard toward my May show. This is what is on my easel today- a work in progress, in case you were wondering- I am still here :-) My blog updates have been slow, but work is progressing at a good speed.

Not shown are a few portraits in the works as well as a portrait bust that I am working on in terracotta.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Driving Light


Just finished this- 36x48, oil on canvas. Pardon the glare.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Still among the living.

I have not completely forgotten my blog- it has just been a time these past months.

After my brother died in December I had a hard time coming up for air. And just as I was starting to, (a few days after my last post here) my daughter had a stroke, which landed her in a coma on full life support. Lots of stories to get her to here, but the bottom line is that she is going to be OK. We all will.

One of these days this blog will be updated properly, but for now I leave you with this picture of what I am working on right now.

XO Lori

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Summer Reflections

I miss my blog- and my studio, and I promise to be back soon.

It is that time of year when the family has grabbed my attention. With a son home from college and a daughter making a long awaited visit home. There has been time with my brother's widow, and a trip to Florida to rescue his airstream from the swamp. And there is another death on the horizon as my Father-in-Law is living out his last few days of fighting with cancer. So much going on that it is hard to get to the studio.

I have been attending a sculpture class- so at least there is a little bit of creation going on.

Stop by the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park to see the lobby where my new paintings will be hanging for the month of August- and I will be sure to be back in the studio before too long.

Love, Lori

Friday, June 12, 2009

Life


We were lucky enough to have a robin's nest right out side our kitchen window this year. Delighted that we could enjoy our coffee and watch the good parents raise their family. I had no idea that the father robin was so involved- and this dad was a great one, chasing off the squirrels and the sparrows. standing nervously near the eggs so mom could run off for a moment. And feeding the kids giant june bugs and worms. So much fun to watch. This is our baby robin- he fell out of his nest a few days before they were ready to fly away so Norma picked him up and put him in a hanging planter placed a little under the nest, (there was no room IN the nest) and she hand fed him worms for a couple of days. We were standing there watching when "Albert" finally flew away. This picture was taken a few minutes after his first flight.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Smack-dab in the middle of everything.



Sometimes it feels like I live in the middle of everything. I regularly see, (and feel equally at home with), both sky scrapers and corn fields. Art museums and galleries fancy city restaurants and farm stands. I like small towns and Love big cities.

Never a suburbanite, I do sometimes feel lost at sea here in the badlands of big box stores where I have never fit in.

But if I look- I can still find light, even if we do have twisted it all up with our crap.

This painting "Old Strip Mall" is 36x48 oil on canvas.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Today is a nice day for making frames.

Sure, I know that it is Memorial Day- but it is kind of cold- so we stayed home and made some frames.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

The Modern Wing Member's Preview

The flowers in Chicago were so glorious- even on the gloomy day- it was thrilling to be on Michigan Avenue. Bravo Chicago!
I saw the new wing on a rainy Wednesday, a preview for the members. I have been looking forward to it for months and was not disappointed. Click on any of these images for a closer look.




The thing that I really love about the opening of the Modern Wing is the space that is left on the other side in the non modern wings. But I do plan to spend a lot of time here this summer.








The building is OK- mostly boring and reminds me of an empty IKEA store. But they were not done with the floors, so maybe I will like it better when that is done.














Wednesday, May 6, 2009

What is it this time? ... the flu again.

I am seriously sick of the flu. I am sure that people will die of it, just like they do every single year- just like they have forever. The fear that I hear is freaking me out. Don't people remember bird flu? Sars? Anthrax and mad cow disease? What about when a few people get food poisoning and they throw away a whole season's worth of perfectly good tomatoes... I could go on and on and on. So obvious to me that fear sells news. So the fear of the day is swine flu.

And I am not buying it one bit.

You watch- next week it will be another pretty suburban blue eyed missing girl for Nancy Grace to cry about for weeks while the inner city violence goes unchallenged and unreported.

When I watch the reaction to this flu, again- it seriously causes me to call the whole world stupid. I am thinking about looking into some flights to Mexico- I bet that there are some deals out there.

Friday, May 1, 2009

What a Great Time!!

It is the best week of the year, I think. The days that the leaves open on the trees, also the days before the lawns have been mowed, when the grass is lumpy and organic looking. And SO green!

I have an OK painting on the easel, but have a special painting in the planning stages- it will be big and it will be different.

Not much else going on- have been doing flesh studies, color and value studies- and spending way too much time on facebook and other forums with my artist friends.

keeping in touch.


Love, Lori

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Settling in- stop by!

I am getting comfortable in the new space- the furniture is in, and most of the supplies. Now is time for buckling down to my continued color (and drawing, composition, intent, content, etc....) studies. If you are in the neighborhood, do stop by and say Hello- I always love to have visitors.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Hello Out there!

Having some technical difficulties, should be back with you shortly!

Friday, March 13, 2009

My new space...

They let me take a look at the space today, opened up with the wall removed.

I took this little video to show it off.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

My poor easels are going to get tired!

I am moving again. Some of you know about my studio travels, some of which are chronicled here on this blog. Almost four years ago I moved from my home studio, (the basement in the winter- breezeway in the summer) to the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park. I started on the third floor, a nice room, but small. 6 months in and the tower opened up- so I took it, with it's walk in closet, private bathroom and beautiful views- it really is the best studio in the building. But 13x13, too small to teach, and I wanted to bring in some workshops. So, after a year in the tower, I moved to the giant studio in the basement- the biggest studio they have.

It was too big so after another year I moved across the hall to the most perfect, clean bright big but not too big studio that is the closest to the front door, and everything about it was great. I loved that studio and planned to stay forever. So what did I do but move home in September. (for many reasons- most of which have been resolved) So I am going back. The space is being prepared- and I will write more when it happens.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Another City Walk

I have some catching up to do here on my blog.

This one is 30x30 oil on canvas

On The Road Again.


My little brother was a bit of a gypsy. On the road more of his life than not- this painting is about the morning that he left us.

I was with him when he died. His hospital room was up in a tower and had one wall of windows overlooking a small lake. I had spent the night with him in his room, and just before the sun came up, when he started bleeding and the nurse sent me out for a moment, I stepped into the next room and looked at his beautiful view. He died a few hours later, surrounded by loving family.

This painting is of that view, and the time of day when it is not dark any more, but not light yet either. I imagine him wearing a tie died shirt and driving off in his VW.

This painting will eventually hang in his airstream.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Coming up for air.

I have been away- my little brother was sick for a few weeks, and then died on the 19th of December. Not a whole lot to say about that- well nothing to share here on this blog. Just that is where I have been, and I expect to be back soon.

Love, Lori