Laura Nothern

LAURA NOTHERN

Omaha, NE

Artist Statement

I love the saying, “Art is Nature as viewed through a temperament,” because I feel it well describes my approach to painting.  

This body of work is a reinterpretation of some of my favorite paintings and themes as well as an assimilation of my studies and experiences to date.

Essentially, I take my studies from Nature (models, landscapes, objects) and dream into them to find an animating archetype within my subject and then build the painting around it. I give context to the characters that arise and invent new spaces and stories, guided by historical and thematic relevant compositions. Inevitably, my humor often steps in to keep me amused and engaged during times of difficulty.   

I’m delighted by the puzzle and process of painting; the practice keeps me grounded and experimentation keeps it fun.  

My goal is to create an image that engages the imagination – familiar, but different, formal, yet fun – a painting one can develop a relationship with.  

Bio

I’ve been painting & drawing all my life and earned my BFA in 1994 from the University of NE, Lincoln. After graduation I continued to paint, selling works through galleries and to private patrons.

In 2011, I was given the great opportunity to study with Timothy Stotz and Michelle Tully at Studio Escalier in France where I learned and practiced a contemporary classical approach to painting the figure from life, as well as making studies of artworks in the Louvre. I focused mostly on 15-18th century paintings and Rubens. 

Needless to say, I’ve been practicing, assimilating and reinterpreting ever since.