Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorra Kurtz.
Hi Lorra, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Painting found me later in life. When my twin boys were young, I took a painting class with a friend. Once I started painting, I never stopped. It was a great escape and fun to be around so many creatives. In the beginning, painting was a hobby. I was experimenting and trying to find my voice. I continued to take painting classes here and abroad to learn about new techniques and materials. I was passionate about learning more.
A turning point in my art career was painting hummingbirds. I painted them in honor of my dad. He maintained several feeders at his lake house porch in east Texas. I have great memories of him sitting outside and watching them. The first painting I sold was of hummingbirds, and I felt through painting them that my dad, although gone, was inspiring and motivating me to follow my heart.
Once I sold the first, it launched my career. For over ten years, I have had gallery representation. I am currently represented at DK Gallery in Marietta, Georgia, High Country Arts in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and The Studio Gallery 30A in Grayton Beach, Florida. Other career highlights include solo shows, exhibiting at the Swan House in Atlanta, and exhibiting at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. I have been featured on Tamara Day’s hit show, “Bargain Mansions,” and am part of her exclusive art program.
I would enjoy hearing from you! For more information, please visit my website at www.lorrakurz.com
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Like any profession, there are challenges, but they don’t compare with the joys and satisfaction I have experienced as an artist. I want to continue to grow artistically, put out authentic work and continue experimenting with new materials to evolve as an artist and person. One of my challenges occurs when I am out of the studio for a period of time. This results in a creative setback for me. Painting and thinking about art daily are what generate my ideas, problem-solving and move paintings forward. Coming back to the studio after a gap, I feel lost, clueless, and not very creative. It takes time to regain the momentum and to get the correct mindset back. Realizing this is part of the process is helpful and probably essential. Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward. Sometimes, you have to redo paintings multiple times before finding the right beauty.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is about connecting to our environment through themes of nature, family, and home. To represent this connection, I loosely paint the flight of a hummingbird, the texture of a nest, and an organic shape of a flower. I am consistently drawn to these visual gifts. Digging deeper, these paintings represent family life cycles, hope, renewal, gratitude and home.
I mix up mixed media, and I explore a variety of mediums, including acrylic, encaustic, collage, and plaster. The desire to experiment with materials is a constant in my process. I often ask myself, “What if I tried…” and have used hand-dyed silk, bed sheets, paper, and other materials to create texture and visual dimension. I previously worked in the interior design field and am inspired by patterns, textures, and colors palettes.
As a world traveler, I feel each experience transports me to new ideas and concepts. Gaining new understandings of culture enhances my life. Art provides me connections with others and the world around me. I am grateful daily for the gift of my artistic journey.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
To pursue art is a creative adventure to find out about yourself. It is not a solo engagement – it takes a village. From those who support you with encouraging words, collectors who purchase art, galleries that inspire a body of work, mentors that critique work, a supportive husband, and a community of people that connect through art. It is bigger than the individual. It is important to foster these relationships as they are so meaningful and are drivers in the creation of art. They have great feedback, provide inspiration, and lift you up. My community helps me find my best authentic self which translates into my best art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lorrakurtz.com
- Instagram: @lorrakurtz
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorraKurtzArt4U/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorra-kurtz-17577072/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/lorrak/
