DEMONSTRATION
‘Working from sketches, memory and photographs for a finished Painting’
by PODI LAWRENCE
Free to members | £3 Guests
Please arrive early and be seated for a 10:00 start.
Podi’s work is considered post-impressionistic, meaning that it emphasises the distinct patterns and colours within an object or scene while still maintaining a realistic representation. She draws inspiration from the tactile experience of applying paint and the expressive lines that come from working with ink, embracing a loose and fluid style. Light plays a crucial role in Podi’s art, and she aims to create paintings that “sing.”
About Podi Lawrence
After completing a foundation course at the Harrow School of Art in the late 1950s, I got married and had children while continuing to paint on the side. In the 1980s, I began to refine my work and was fortunate to be invited to illustrate the opening of the High Wycombe Swan Theatre, an experience now archived at the Wycombe Museum. This opportunity introduced me to the English National Ballet, where I served as the resident artist for a year, creating approximately ten paintings of dancers.
During this time, I exhibited with several societies at the Mall Galleries, including the Society of Women Artists (SWA), the United Artists (UA), and the Discerning Eye, where one of my small paintings was chosen by Prince Charles—though I assure you, I’m not bragging!
I exhibited with the Paris Salon for three years, where I won a bronze medal for a painting of my fellow artists at a life class (though I never kept a copy of that painting). I was also a member and served as chairman for a while of the Buckinghamshire Art Society.
In 1999, I left the UK and moved to Canada—a long story in itself—where I was welcomed with open arms. The Canadian society is wonderfully inclusive, and I was fortunate to have access to a large studio space for free for four years. During this time, I was commissioned by the Waterloo Jazz Festival, one of the largest in Ontario, providing illustrations for their publicity for over ten years, as well as creating sketches for the K-W Symphony Orchestra’s promotional materials.
Eventually, I moved to Panama, another experience with its own long story. It was here that I discovered my fascination with the colors in shadows, which inspired a series of paintings.
I returned to the UK in 2011 and have since settled on the tied island of Portland.
www.podilawrenceartist.com
facebook.com/PodiStudio
