PORTRAIT ARTIST LAURI FIELDING
LAURI FIELDING, WHO COMES FROM A FAMILY OF ARTISTS, MANIFESTED A PENCHANT FOR
DRAWING AND PAINTING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD. AT THAT TIME HER FATHER, A GIFTED
GRAPHIC ARTIST AND ACADEMIC PAINTER IN HIS OWN RIGHT, PROVIDED HER FIRST SET
OF OIL PAINTS AND HER FIRST GUIDANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT. SHE LATER RECEIVED
DEGREES IN FINE ART AND ART EDUCATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
IN AMHERST.
WHILE IN SCHOOL, THE OCCASIONAL PORTRAIT COMMISSION HELPED WITH EXPENSES AND
AFTER GRADUATION LAURI CONTINUED TO DO PORTRAITS DURING THE THREE YEARS THAT
SHE WAS AN ADVERTISING ARTIST FOR STAR MARKET COMPANY IN CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.
IN THE FOLLOWING FOUR YEARS, HAVING RELOCATED BACK TO WESTERN MASS, SHE WORKED
AS A FREE LANCE GRAPHIC DESIGNER FOR NATIONAL EVALUATION SYSTEMS IN AMHERST.
GRADUALLY, WHILE REMAINING PERSISTANTLY DEDICATED TO STRENGTHENING HER ARTISTIC
CAPABILITY BY PAINTING AND DRAWING, CONTINUING TO DO COMMISSIONED PORTRAITS AND
TO STUDYING THE OLD MASTERS, LAURI COINCIDENTALLY DEVELOPED METALSMITHING SKILLS.
SHE DESIGNED AND PRODUCED A LINE OF GALLERY QUALITY JEWELRY IN PRECIOUS METALS
AND STONES FOR WHICH SHE DEVELOPED A NATIONAL MARKET. DURING THIS TIME SHE TAUGHT
A NUMBER OF COURSES AND WORKSHOPS IN METAL SMITHING AT HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE IN
HADLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, SMITH VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IN NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS AND
AT LEVERETT ARTISTS AND ARTISANS IN LEVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS. AT LEVERETT ARTISTS
AND ARTISANS SHE WAS RESIDENT SILVERSMITH FOR FOUR YEARS.
EVENTUALLY, BY WAY OF RETURNING TO SCHOOL TO STUDY ENGINEERING DRAWING AND
ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING AND RENDERING, LAURI RETURNED TO PAINTING FULL TIME. AFTER
STUDYING FOR TWO YEARS WITH DON WILHELM AT THE SPRINGFIELD MUSEUM OF ART
IN SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, SHE OPENED A GALLERY OF HER OWN WORK, AT THE ROCKY
NECK ART COLONY IN GLOUCESTER. SHE SOON AFTER MOVED THE GALLERY TO DOCK SQUARE IN
ROCKPORT, MASSACHUSETTS. HER WORK IS SHOWN IN OTHER GALLERIES IN MASSACHUSETTS AND
RHODE ISLAND AND HAS BEEN ADDED TO MANY PRIVATE COLLECTIONS.
LAURI IS A MEMBER OF THE ROCKPORT ART ASSOCIATION, THE NEWBURYPORT ART ASSOCIATION,
PORTRAIT ARTISTS. SHE DOES ART DEMONSTRATIONS EVERY YEAR FOR VARIOUS ART GROUPS AND
HAS TAKEN ON A NUMBER OF PRIVATE STUDENTS FOR BASIC AND ADVANCED DRAWING AND PAINTING.
THIS ARTIST'S APPROACH TO PAINTING IS TO EMULATE THE DOWN TO EARTH REALISM AND
DRAMATIC STYLE OF PAINTERS LIKE CARAVAGGIO, REMBRANDT, VERMEER, AND VELASQUEZ BY
USING CHIARASCURO LIGHTING EFFECTS (STARK LIGHT AGAINST A DARK BACKGROUND) TO
CREATE A STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL BUT SERENE AND MYSTERIOUS ATMOSPHERE. SHE WORKS
BEARING IN MIND THAT ALL GREAT WORKS OF FINE ART ARE SIMPLE IN CONCEPT AND THAT THE
REALITY OF PAINTING IS THE CANVAS AND THE MODEL ONLY A REFERENCE. SHE ENVISIONS
EVERY FINISHED PIECE BEFORE IT IS BEGUN AND, IN THE PROCESS OF PAINTING, STRIVES
TO THE BEST OF HER ABILITY TO ACHIEVE THAT IDEAL. IN BOTH STILL LIFE AND
PORTRAITURE, SHE TRIES TO INVOKE A SENSE OF NATURALISM, INFORMALITY, WARMTH AND
TRUTH IN EVERY PAINTING.