Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie Simko.
Laurie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always been interested in the visual world and in making things. My favorite subject in school was always Art and I would paint, draw and take after-school art classes whenever possible.
I went to the California Institute of the Arts, a school started by Walt Disney to combine all the Arts under one roof: Film, Music, Visual Arts, Design, and Theater. We called it ‘The Mickey Mauhaus’. It was an eye-opening experience being exposed to all the Arts and their interconnections. Beyond painting, I took part in the feminist art program, film-making, book-making, conceptual art, Javanese woodcarving and design. It was a wonderful place to explore and share ideas with a diverse group of artists.
After receiving my BFA I worked in an art gallery for a few years in LA, then returned to Boston and worked in various advertising agencies. I got married, had 2 children and continued to work in graphic design in the high-tech sector.
I enjoyed my career and busy life but yearned to get back to painting. As my children got older I was able to find more time to paint. For the past 12 years, I’ve had a studio at Western Ave Studios in Lowell that has about 300 artists. I now am able to devote most of my time to painting. My subject matter is the natural world and I am passionate about exploring ways to interpret and express what I see and feel around me.
Has it been a smooth road?
Throughout my adult life, the biggest obstacle was juggling family, career and painting.
Now with my kids grown up, my graphic design work is minimal and I can now focus on creating art. Now my challenge is solving self-imposed puzzles that I encounter in my work, such as, what and how do I respond to in the world around me in a meaningful and fresh way.
We live in troubled times and I believe art to me is more important than ever on so many levels. The world of art keeps me sane and fully engaged. In it, I find solace and contentment yet it’s challenging enough to never let me feel that I can’t learn and grow more.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with lauriesimko.com – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’m an oil, acrylic painter and mixed-media artist mainly focused on the natural world.
Nature offers a wealth of visual and metaphorical inspiration. I have a great passion for refining the use and selection of materials in creating form, shape, color, composition and selecting meaningful subject matter.
When I start a new project I usually work out the ideas in a series of paintings using similar materials, visuals, concepts. I may work for a year on a body of work that is related, then I move on to where that series leads me.
It’s an evolving process that allows for experimentation, discovery and growth.
I am a member of the Concord Art Association, Copley Society of Art, Rockport Art Association, National Association of Women Artists in NYC and the Whistler House Museum of Art.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I am a seeker, an explorer and that serves me well in my journey as an artist. I am curious about the world around me and am looking for answers to my myriad questions that present themselves at each stage of my artistic life.
And I have the drive and motivation to keep looking for the answers. ‘Perseverance furthers’ is an axiom I’ve always liked and is the key to succeeding in what we want to achieve. I believe if you show up and pay attention every day you’ll make great strides forward.
Contact Info:
- Address: 122 Western Ave Lowell, MA
- Website: http://www.lauriesimko.com
- Email: l.simko@comcast.net
- Instagram: @lauriesimko
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/lauriesimkoArt/?ref=bookmarks
Image Credit:
Sally T. Johnson
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