Meet Lili Anne Laurin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lili Anne Laurin.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
“In the quiet and solitary act of painting, the artist chooses pictorial language to create a visual statement”

Plein air artist Lili Anne Laurin has an impassioned preference for painting out in the elements of nature rather than in the more sterile environment of her comfortable studio. Since moving to Arizona from New Jersey 4 years ago, she has trained her eye on capturing the light and color of the desert. Having painted the more intimate landscapes of the Garden State for more than 10 years, it was an adjustment to take in the vastness of the skies and the sparse yet beautiful desert vegetation of the Copper State.

“Nature has always been a powerful pull for me and I feel most alive with my creative juices flowing when surrounded by the sights, sounds and scents of our beautiful world. In essence nature is the well-source of inspiration and impetus for my creativity.  As an avid plein air painter, my direct experience and observation of nature informs all of my work including works painted in the studio.”

A Canadian native, Laurin studied fine art at Concordia University in Montreal and following a permanent move to the United States, continued to refine her drawing and painting skills at the Art Students League of New York and taking workshops with many esteemed artists, Kenn Backhaus, Greg Beecham and Bill Cramer to name a few.

Her desert paintings reflect the glow of the dramatic sunrises and sunsets that are iconic to the Arizona landscape. It is not unusual for Laurin to get up at 4 in the morning to be set up and painting when the sun rises over the Superstitions. She also makes several yearly excursions to paint at the Grand Canyon, which is one of the most complex challenging scenes to distill onto a canvas.

Last November, the artist garnered the prestigious Purchase Award at the American Women Artists’ national juried Exhibition for “Lees Ferry Landing” an almost dreamlike interpretation of a peaceful section of the Colorado River in the Glen Canyon Recreational area. This work now hangs at the Tucson Desert Art Museum as part of its permanent collection. She has been juried into many prestigious national shows: Oil Painters of American National, Eastern and Western shows, American Impressionism show and has won many awards, including three “Juries Top Sixty” awards and an Honorable Mention for “Pastoral Longhorn” awarded by the illustrious Max Ginsberg at the Salon International.

She has juried memberships in Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, American Women Artists and Women Artists of the West.

Please tell us about your art.
My inspiration comes direct from my natural surroundings. I’m am mostly a plein air painter and since setting up my desert home in the Copper State, my paintings have come to reflect the glow of the dramatic sunrises and sunsets that are iconic to the Arizona landscape. I often get up at the crack of dawn to meet my fellow painter Don Dean where we set up in one of the many inspiring desert locations that we frequent and get ready to paint when the sun rises over the Superstitions. I just love being out there and wish I everyone could experience the joy of being part of that big beautiful creation in the quiet of the morning or the stillness of the night. The best I can do is bring a little piece of it back with paint on canvas for others to glean the impression of it.

We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
Instagram and Facebook have been a great way for me to show my work and stay connected with other artists. Taking workshops has the advantage of increasing your skills as well as making new friends that share your passion. Joining local painting groups like the Arizona Plein Air Painters gets you out there and connected…. how I met my painting partner Don Dean. Scottsdale Artists School is another way to connect with artists and make you a better painter.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Art lovers can keep up with my work on my website where I will soon be adding a PayPal purchase button. My American Women Artists’ purchase award painting can be viewed at the Tucson Desert Art Museum. I have two galleries on the east coast that carry my work, one in New Jersey and one in Maryland and I have expressed interest in representation with a west coast gallery. An article about me and some of my work has been published in the September 2018 issue of Southwest Art Magazine under “Artists to Watch”

Contact Info:

• Address: 15904 E Cholla Drive
  Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
• Website: www.laurinart.com
• Phone: 480.417.2526
• Email: laurinart@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurinart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lili.laurin

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