News

I Knew Then & I Know Now

Folks, I don't like strawberry ice cream. Even my Dad's pleading, "But Lori, it's PINK!!!", couldn't convince me to try it. Ice cream is chocolate, end of story. What I'm getting at is not the fact that I was spoiled, (which I was!), but rather that I knew, from a young age, exactly what I liked. I was the kid that either said, "yes", or "no". I couldn't be convinced to change my mind. Growing up in Montreal gave me many exciting experiences. I had so many opportunities to visit Museums and Galleries; the Montreal Symphony Orchestra regularly held events...

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Paying Attention

The Rocky Mountains of Canada are so magnificent. Every day, your breath is taken away, even though you've seen the same peaks for many years. In the same way as staring up at the stars, you feel very tiny and insignificant. A few weeks ago, I had the opposite feeling. I was a Giant from a Fairy Tale, with big, clumsy feet as I tried to hover with my sketchbook in order to capture a tiny crocus in bloom with watercolour. Here is that sketch. An artist has to pay attention to everything, from the tiniest details to what to...

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Showing Up, When You're the Only One There

How about failure??? Well, to me, that's a "dirty" word, but the bottom line is that any time you put yourself or your work out into the world, things may not go as planned. Here is a recent painting that didn't make the cut to be included in an International Art Exhibit: Here is a painting that didn't sell at an art gallery after a month long show:   So, are these failures? Not to me. I like to think that if something didn't sell, the person who was destined to own it wasn't in the gallery at that time....

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Wishes

My late Mother always uttered the phrase, "If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride". Wishes were ridiculous. You either DID something, or you didn't. Although it took some of the joy out of wishing on birthday candles, it was still a gift; a philosophy to live by that meant no excuses. Painting is hard. You have to fail at everything, then cheer yourself through it by saying a mantra of, "Well, at least you're learning!" Ugh. When you've made a mess of a half sheet of Arches Watercolour paper from France, that mantra doesn't help to put your mind...

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An Artist, By Any Other Name...

Crowds of people, (meaning more than three in a room), make me uncomfortable. In fact, one of my friends once said, "Lori, if our High School Reunion was held in your FRONT YARD, you wouldn't come!"  Very true. BUT, if you put me in a room with artists, the discomfort is gone. I revel in their creativity, their passion, their dedication. We have a common goal and a finish line: a painting that gives us joy. However, I realized at one point that I didn't really know the people I was spending hours with, other than by the little things...

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