profile photo
Contact

Lynn Laird

BIO The vibrant culture of the Gulf States, where Lynn Laird continues to grow, has a delicious influence on her life and art. Since her first toddling artistic expression in pencil on a pantyhose cardboard, Lynn has sought art instruction provided in books and public schools, primarily using charcoal and ink. Based on these skills, she has had a prolific career creating custom scrimshaw for noted knife-makers and gunsmiths. While recovering from breast cancer, Lynn leapt into the bold colorful world of acrylic, oil, and watercolor painting. Embracing these mediums, she discovered the magic of art as therapy. Lynn continues to explore her artistic voice through her Looking Forward and The Unstrung Marionette series, encouraged by recognition in her community through critical review and awards like selection for the Uncommon Mural project and Collectible Artist. In between joyful adventures and that second line to the Promised Land, happy or sad, life is full of champagne cork-popping celebrations that all have an impact on her art. ARTIST STATEMENT Who knew that my art alter ego would be a bald male marionette? The Unstrung Marionette appeared on my canvas last summer insisting that he wanted to be painted foot loose and fancy free, no strings attached. In a case of "be careful what you ask for" we now follow his adventures as he tries to keep it all together. In paintings like “I Got This” we see him, chest held high with leg slung over his shoulder, leaving the colorful swirl of chaos behind, and we cheer for him. With the exception of one finger, a shoe, and his hat, he’s almost “got this!” Even though I did not understand at first why he needed to be painted, in oil at that, the message came through quite clearly in his name. The initials for Marion Etoile (whose last name means star in French) are M.E. The popularity of this series shows that many of us can appreciate and find the humor in how even our best efforts to keep it all together sometimes goes awry.
WORK