Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori.
Hi Lori, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up in the Tennessee countryside, I spent many hours immersed in nature, without neighbors for miles. Those solitary moments helped cultivate my love for the outdoors and fueled my creative spirit. In high school, art classes became one of the first places I recognized my aptitude for drawing and my desire to paint. However, it took many years and career choices before I seriously considered a life as a fine artist.
In 1991, I started and managed a graphic design company, where I refined my composition and color sense for the next 13 years. A beginning class in 1997 reignited my passion for oil painting. By 1999, I took weekly lessons, and my early works were more tightly rendered and tonal in style. I painted mainly still life while studying drawing and the techniques of the old masters, focusing on bold contrasts, glazing, and minimal visible brushwork. Those early teachers and mentors instilled foundational principles and skills in me, but a different artist was stirring within.
A pivotal moment arrived in 2001 when I wandered into the studio of Dawn Whitelaw. Within a year, I rented a studio next to hers, and a lifelong friendship blossomed. By 2005, I found myself burned out with graphic design; the desire to paint was too strong to ignore, so I left my business to dedicate time to learning to paint. One of my most important choices was studying with Scott L. Christensen in May that year. Along with Quang Ho and Kevin Macpherson, these artists’ friendships and emotional support have been a significant source of encouragement.
In search of more intense focus, my husband, Mark, and I sold our home and belongings in 2008, traveling to the Italian countryside for eight months for self-study and artistic experimentation. The concentrated work during that period triggered my artistic growth and resulted in a personal breakthrough.
No stranger to hard work and dedication, I am now recognized as one of the top living artists. Collectors highly seek after my paintings and have been featured in numerous publications, including *Western Art Collector*, *American Art Collector Magazine*, *Plein Air Magazine*, *Southwest Art*, *Fine Art Connoisseur*, *Western Art and Architecture*, and *Art of the West*. I am a member of many respected organizations, including the Salmagundi Club in New York City, the Oil Painters of America, the Portrait Society of America, the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, American Women Artists, and the California Art Club. My paintings have received top awards in exhibitions associated with these organizations and dozens of invitational events.
I am honored that museums such as The Booth Western Art Museum, The Tucson Museum of Art, The Brinton Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming, The Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, Montana, Custom’s House Museum in Clarksville, Tennessee, The High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, The Irvine Museum in California, and The Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland, have sought out my works for awards, exhibitions, and permanent collections.
In 2019, I accepted an appointment as Vice President of Art Ambassador for A Colorful World and often traveled to work with children in less advantaged areas. These experiences have deepened my understanding of my purpose as an artist.
In 2021, I was honored to win the $15,000 Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award at the Plein Air Salon Competition. It was truly exhilarating to have my two paintings chosen from over 12,000 entries. In 2024, I achieved Signature Member status in the California Art Club, which is the highest tier of membership within the organization. Then, in 2025, I was awarded the title of Oil Painters of America Master Signature Member. The OPA Board of Directors confers this prestigious membership level based on exceptional merit in my work and accomplishments in the field of art. Now, I have the privilege of signing my work with the initials OPAM, which is a point of pride for me.
Working in a new impressionist style, I use dynamic, thick and thin brush strokes. My paintings are best appreciated in person, where their energy and texture truly come alive. Having traveled to sketch and research in more than 30 countries, I create small preliminary studies on location using pencil, gouache, or oil. While some of these evolve into finished works, my primary goal lies elsewhere. Rather than relying on photo references, I draw inspiration from these intimate resources and my memories for my large oil paintings. My fascination is less with specific subjects and more with interlocking shapes, harmonious colors, and precisely related tones. Up close, my paintings appear as abstract marks of color, gradually coming into focus from a distance.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Becoming a professional artist has been possible thanks to generous mentors and the unwavering support of my spouse, who was willing to make significant sacrifices so I could pursue this path. Selling our home was a difficult decision, but it proved to be the right one. There have been challenging times, but dedication to my craft and facing obstacles directly have led to the success I enjoy today. That success allowed me to realize my dream of having my own studio just over ten years ago.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I stated much of this in the first question, so I will not repeat all of it here. To better clarify, I would like to reiterate that my experience working from life outdoors leads to the final pieces I create in my studio. Photographs lie about color, but nature offers a bountiful and free classroom. The more I learn, the more I see natural patterns, rhythm, and color harmony our world provides.
My work is widely classified as “new” impressionism, and I am recognized for the way I use color and light. Often referred to as a “high-key” painter, I translate what nature teaches me into abstract marks of color that come into focus as a representational painting when viewed from several feet away.
My most proud achievements include receiving significant awards for my paintings and reaching Master Signature Member status in the Oil Painters of America.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people assume I have an art degree. Instead, I am self-taught, with only the aid of some of the world’s best mentors and artists. I used to teach adult painting workshops a lot. Often, I had students who had diplomas and years of academic study or formal atelier experience under their feet. Rarely did they have any real training to actually paint. I have none of those achievements and have had to muster the courage to admit that to the people who were paying me to teach them.
Pricing:
- My paintings range in price from 8×10 inches for $2,200; to 60×72 inches for $34,000.
- Painting retreats range in price from $5000-$9000 per person depending on location
- I offer online mentoring for $3000 for 6 sessions
- My coffee-table book sells for $75
Contact Info:
- Website: https://loriputnam.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loriputnamart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoriPutnamArt
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PutnamFineArtStudio
- Other: https://loriputnam.online
