The awe and wonder of Nature's brilliant sunlight combined with vibrant color create the signature of a Lauren Knode painting. "The spectacular radiance of a sunrise or sunset, dramatic cloud formations and light radiating through the petals of a luminous flower, fill me with great inspiration and excitement."
Those unique, breathless moments of "wow" we all share are captured within her work, which she paints in oil, acrylic and pastel. Skyscapes and florals, dominant themes in Knode's work, express her love of Nature's miraculous breadth of intricacy and color, diverse texture and energy of light. She paints with many whisper thin glazes of paint, building light atmospheric layers to capture the weightlessness of the sky or light shimmering through the delicate petal of a flower.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Lauren knew from an early age that art was her passion. At age 10 while copying the drawing by Albrecht Durer, "Praying Hands", her mother made the observation that she was always happiest doing her art. That was an epiphany for Lauren who was greatly encouraged by her mother who came from a family of artists. Lauren was greatly influenced by her grandfather and uncle. Her grandfather, Lew Merrell, a cartoonist, caricaturist, and graphic designer, drew caricatures of key businessmen of his day and designed and published the sports program for the Chicago Bears. Her uncle, Lew Merrell Jr., a wonderful oil painter nicknamed "Red", graduated from the Chicago Art Institute and was credited with the statement, "Never be afraid of color". To this day the two major influences in her work are COLOR and LIGHT.
Lauren Knode graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, after a year of study in Pavia, Italy - a year which greatly heightened her love for art and travel.
A long fulfilling career in art education followed the completion of a Master of Arts in Teaching degree at Lewis and Clark College. In 1995 she left her teaching career to follow a different passionate path in the arts - the life of a full-time artist. Trips to the Southwest reawakened her passion for color and light. Her studio and residence are now in Phoenix, Arizona.
Lauren participates in major art shows throughout the West and is represented by Silver Heron Gallery in Depoe Bay, Oregon and by Galleria Clasico in Cave Creek, Arizona.
An award winning artist, Lauren Knode's paintings and prints are in private and corporate collections across the country.
Lauren working on a commission in her studio.
.gif)
