Fine Art by Lorena. I am currently a member of Shasta County Arts Council and North Valley Art League, Redding, California. My experience instructing art and language privately and in the classroom, most recently at Shasta College, Redding, California; Cascade School for at-risk youth, Whitmore, California; Bishop Quinn High School, Palo Cedro, California, and Redding School District after school Arts Program, is a continual source of fresh ideas and inspiration to seek new and more effective means of communication through the brush and the pen. My background in taxonomic illustration has given me an eye for detail on the one hand, and my personal habit of always taking in the 'larger picture' has opened the wider world to me, both geographically and spiritually. Most of my art contains a marriage of these three aspects of my life. There is detail to focus on, and reference to the history and architecture of other countries, but beneath what is portrayed there is often a deeper meaning that speaks of our quest for truth. Sometimes it just tells a simple story. Over the past 40 years, I have worked as a linguist, graphic artist and illustrator, writer and poet. I am currently developing my signature in the field of fine art. If art is an expression of the culture it represents, then those who would look at history will find clear evidence of the health of successive civilizations, from the first cave paintings to the present day, simply by looking at their art. Fine Art by Lorena. The study of the history of art is a fascinating and revealing subject. I don't think anyone with eyes to see can deny that today's civilization is far from healthy. It is my opinion that the art that is being extolled by the experts in our times too often dwells on dark and uninspiring themes. However much today's art world may proclaim the importance of self-expression, I beg to differ on one point: "Beauty is not in the eye of the beholder", but in its Source. man turned to himself for his inspiration, he began to lose touch with the "Source" of truth and Beauty, making up his own truths as he went. Beauty as an Absolute became beauty only as it appeared to "the eye of the beholder" - whatever form it took. Acceptable modern art has become, like today's society that it represents, nothing short of decadent, meaningless to all but the elite few, and unpleasant to look at. I leave aside those enlightened spirits who draw their inspiration from higher truths in the attempt to bring back some sanity to our lives. It is after all, within the higher truths that bind us all that we find our true happiness. It is my desire to be part of the solution, not the problem, in today's world, creating art that rests the eyes and the soul. Fine art by Lorena. I create - to your health! There are endless possibilities with watercolors. I love the transparency of the colors and the impact of the white paper, which, left alone, becomes the whitest white that I believe an artist can achieve in any medium, and the contrasting dark, rich hues achieved through layering. To those artists who "don't like" watercolor's unforgiving nature, I have to say that in my experience, it is nothing of the sort. If you are willing to change direction when the pigments don't respond as planned, it is a very forgiving medium, full of surprises that make your painting as much a discovery as a planned work of art. Reducing a subject to its essence, in color and content, produces some of the most interesting works of art, permitting the viewer to participate by mentally finishing open areas left to the imagination at Fine Art by Lorena. Embossings are a refinement of this concept. The fine textures and subtle contrasts produced by embossed lines on white paper have a quality of freshness and light that both relaxes and stimulates the imagination. Equally at home in a white-on-white decor or against contrasting dark walls, they become a design element, adding a touch of elegance to modern decor.First of all, a print is not a reproduction. It has become an unfortunate custom to call art reproductions "prints", as this creates some confusion and lessens the value of printmaking, which is an exact and time-honored art form. Printmaking is one of the oldest fine art forms know to man. Fine Art by Lorena, essentially, any object or surface can be inked and transferred to another surface through pressure, creating a print. As a fine art, printmaking traces its history to the Orient, and is responsible for some of the most exquisite, lasting works of art in existence. Fine art prints have a unique, timeless beauty, a life of their own, that comes as much from the medium as from the subjects of the works themselves. A number of different printmaking processes are used, each with its unique personality. (See: www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa020.shtml for more information). Although the image is worked differently in each process, the print is usually formed in the same way, by placing an inked image plate face up on a press,covering it with a paper and running them through a printing press, transferring (printing) the image to the paper. This is an over-simplified explanation of the art of printmaking, which involves a great deal of skill on the part of the artist in preparing and inking the plate (the actual "work") for printing. Special, high-quality print making papers are normally used. Embossings are made by building surface textures on a plate and printing this "image", without ink, leaving only the impression of the image on the paper. A collograph is an embossing that has been inked before printing. What is a giclee? Giclee is a fancy word for a reproduction of a work of art. From the French meaning "sprayed". A common term for fine art digital prints of paintings and photographs, made from an inkjet printer, resulting in reproductions of very high quality. What is chine collee? "Chine collee" (collee is French for "glued) means originally a lithograph printed on a paper that has then been collaged to a second sheet of paper. It is often used to attach an original work to another piece of paper, by passing the two through a printing press with a sized piece of mat board. The art is firmly attached and when the mat board is removed, it leaves an embossed "frame" around the original. It is a presentation technique that adds a touch of sophistication to a valued work of art. Without variety life becomes tedious. But life itself is a myriad of wonders, and so I find there is no end to inspiration for my art and the means to develop it. As a watercolorist and taxonomical artist for many years, I never lacked ideas, but I have recently discovered a variety of new media, which have helped me to develop further as an artist, and this has opened a door to endless possiblities for new works. The result is a portfolio that includes work in everything from graphite and colored pencil, printmaking, watercolor and acrylic, to multi-media works that incorporate all of the media mentioned - and more - in one piece of art. As I learn new techniques, I find myself inventing some of my own, and my art becomes more personal and individual. The images on this page are computer-enhanced photos, or composites of my original art work. They are printed on high quality hp gloss photo paper and sold with archival white mat. Prints are sold one size only, as indicated by each title. Add 3" on all sizes for mat and overall size. At Fine Art by Lorena. Exhibit quality framing is available. Please enquire about prices.