Laurie Near's, Journey into Art via You Tube

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Viewers are welcome to visit Laurie's website. Laurie also produces an art newsletter. Please click here.

Saturi 39 by Laurie Near

“I believe that making and looking at art can be a form of contemplative practice, a space in our noisy and information-saturated lives for solitude, silence, and being in the present. Like prayer and meditation, art can become part of the foundation of who you art in the world, as intrinsic to your nature as breathing.”

I am inspired by writings, music and artworks which evoke a sense of connection and timelessness. Process is the driving force in my most recent body of work where paintings are characterized by focus on repetition, fluidly applied colour,and ideogramatic images. Multiple layers of glaze, in conjunction with the use of metallic/iridescent pigments, allow each acrylic painting to reveal subtle
compositional changes depending on the precise angle at which light hits the surface of the canvas, creating a richness and depth that is difficult to reproduce with a photograph.

Painting sessions serve as important meditations where one becomes at once both hyper-aware and lost in the process. The “Satori” series originates from a concept central to Zen Buddhism where “Satori”, in its simplest form, is described as a state of sudden spiritual enlightenment in which one becomes able to recognize and appreciate the “true essence or nature” of things. Key aspects of this dogma include emphasis on inner stillness, intuition and the notion of impermanence – carving out frequent opportunities for quiet reflection is a vital component of my artistic process. The multi-layered Satori paintings are the result of a continuing exploration of the blending of traditional elements of Eastern art (balance, simplicity, “essence”) with key elements of Lyrical Abstraction (process, repetition, spontaneous expression). An avid naturalist (raised by a pair of hardcore “birders”) and a strong believer in basic philosophies regarding the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world, I can often be found hiking with my dog, taking in the scenery and quietly absorbing images and impressions for use back in the studio. Some more abstracted than others, my paintings are infused with symbols, colours and shapes inspired by elements of nature.

To view more of Laurie's works, please click here.

Laurie Near - An Inner Quest for Beauty

Laurie Near's love of art and life radiates around her. Laurie's journey in art, began in her childhood in Chatham, Ontario, when she discovered her artistic nature. Laurie was the proverbial, 'classroom artist', and her journey through school saw her consistently winning art awards. Like many artists, Laurie wrestled with finding her direction in life and this resulted in her studying Fine Arts, Child Studies, and Social Sciences at the University of Guelph. Her academic journey saw her graduate from Teacher's College with a M.Ed, which led her to her present job of teaching art at the secondary school level, in Belleville, Ontario. Through it all, Laurie engaged in an intense study of art in workshops, and weekend and night classes. Her artistic interests led her from photorealistic graphite drawings of animals to a number of whimsical series including works featuring insects, flowers, cats and quirky characters. This was a period of artistic apprenticeship for Laurie. After being asked to teach a course on world religions, Laurie began her own personal inner journey, with readings on Eastern religions such as Taoism and Buddhism directing the way. Laurie wrestles with the struggle of juggling the responsibilities of her teaching job and life with her desire to create, stating that " there’s nothing like being in the studio with a good mellow music-mix playing, a full glass of wine and a good chunk of uninterrupted time ahead of you…pure bliss."

Like most artists, Laurie finds great pleasure in talking art and associating with creative people. The last few years have seen Laurie's works migrate into galleries and private collections in Canada, the States, and the UK. Her work can be found in GalleryArtPlus, in Belleville and in f.a.d. Gallery in Bloomfield, Ontario.

Please click here to be taken to Laurie's website to see more of her works.