Laurie Potter is continuously creating work that reflects her attention to color,
form, and detail. In creating vibrant representational paintings that portray her
love of the natural world, Laurie feels that her artwork is an ongoing discovery
of how close observation can be blended with imagination and a passion for one’s
subject. After spending years exploring different materials and methods, she has
become adept at painting various subject matter, from birds and animals to landscapes
and skyscapes, while consistently focusing on rich color and striking compositions.
Her mixed media watercolor and acrylic paintings of wildlife are often noted for
the eyes, where she strives to capture the personality, vitality, and mystery therein.
Her pastel landscapes and botanicals are created in the pursuit of finding the right
blend of impression
and representation, with strong emphasis on the interplay of color and value. Relying
on a combination of field studies and sketches, reference photos, and her mind’s
eye, Laurie works on her paintings in her home studio and outdoors on location.
Born and raised close to the beautiful Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, much of
her youth was spent observing and enjoying the wonders of nature in the woods and
by the waterways of the bay area. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree
from Millersville University, Pa, she did several months of traveling around the
United States, taking the opportunity to sketch at many spectacular sites along the
way. When she traveled through the Pacific Northwest she fell in love with the diverse
beauty of the region and decided to relocate to the west coast where she now resides
in Bellingham, Washington.
Laurie displays her art at galleries throughout Washington State, in solo exhibits
and juried group shows nationwide, and she also paints commissions for private collectors.
Her work has been published in “Best of Worldwide Artists Pastel, Charcoal, Pencil
Vol. I”, received an Honorable Mention in the competitive Pastel Journal 100 Competition,
and has had the honor of winning the “Best of Show Award” and a second place “Presidents
Award” at two Northwest Pastel Society Exhibits. Laurie has just received the “Art
du Pastel en France” Award at the Pastel Society of America International Exhibition,
and her piece was then chosen to go on to be shown at the prestigious Butler Institute
of American Art.
