Laurie’s Art Bio

The inspiration to paint is almost everywhere I look, where I live in the San Francisco Bay Area.  From trails on Mount Tamalpais to the Sausalito harbor, there is no shortage of beauty to inspire.

My art career began after I left my teaching post in 2015. A friend gave me a small book titled, “Art Before Breakfast,” by Danny Gregory.  I couldn’t wait to start a sketchbook. Soon thereafter I began taking drawing and painting classes at the local community college. My art buddy and I practiced sketching people in local cafés, and on location plein aire. When COVID 19 shut us down, we turned to art classes online. When I found the Creative Visionary Program with Nick Wilton, I was all in.

            I continue to learn from my teachers and fellow classmates, expanding into all mediums, oils, pastels, gouache, watercolor and Gel-plate printing. Most recently I had the opportunity to teach pickleball in Baja, Mexico for several months. There I found the colors and flavors of Mexico intoxicating. I painted almost every afternoon in the warmth of the ocean breezes, and the series became my “Baja Collection.”