Today we’d like to introduce you to Lupe Lawrence.
Hi Lupe, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in Havana, Cuba. When I was five years old, my family and I moved to the United States and lived in my aunt’s house. In her living room, hanging above her sofa, I saw the painting Haywain by John Constable and began to cry, immediately I knew that I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to evoke the same emotions in others as the painting had produced in me. I told my mother that I wanted to go to art school, and because we had just come from Cuba, we did not have the money to go, and she persuaded me to forget about my desire. When I entered high school, I took my first art class and felt as if I had come home. I told my teacher that I wanted to pursue an art career. She told me that I did not have what it took to go to college. Deflated, I was persuaded not to follow my inspiration to become an artist. It would take a crisis in 1995 for me to remember my desire for art, and I began taking classes at Conveniant School of the Arts headed by Robert Watler. Through his instruction and my perseverance, I began exhibiting professionally in 2002. I have since shown in South Carolina, Georgia, and throughout Florida.
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?
It was not till high school that I was able to take my first art class; I remember feeling as if I had come home. I had an epiphany when I learned that line, shadow, and light could make things recede, which was secret to Constable’s painting. I was so overjoyed that I went to my teacher and told her I wanted to go to school and become an artist. She looked at me and said, you do not have what it takes, and you will never make it. Deflated, I forgot about my dream. I graduated high school and went to work in odd jobs, so funny every job that I got, I was terminated.
I decided that I needed to change and went to school to become an office worker/secretary. Soon after, I met my husband, and for sure, I did not think of art anymore.
Several years later, through numerous incidents and circumstances, I became so depressed that I attempted suicide. When I woke up, I realized how selfish I had been and how my death would affect my husband and family.
Soon after, I went to the beach, and as I looked at the waves, I thought, okay, suicide is not the answer; what will make me happy? I remembered my high school dream and decided that I would find an art class.
The next day I walked into a craft store, and they had art classes; I immediately signed up and bought the supplies that I would need for the course. I was so excited and felt a lift in my soul. The first class was great, and I was so elated that I did not notice that I was the only minority and that the teacher was not paying attention to me. This went on for a month, and it began to damper my enthusiasm. I wanted to learn how to paint so badly that I decided to try another class, and to my horror, the same thing happened. Dejected, I walked to the parking lot, and one of the students stopped me and told me she had seen how the instructor was treating me, and she wanted me to contact a fabulous new instructor by the name of Robert Watler, who had started giving classes at a nearby church. I began taking classes with Robert, and true to his reputation, he was fabulous. In one of the classes, Robert said, if you want it, you can have it; you have to work hard. I began a regimen; I would come home from work, do my chores, and paint till about midnight. I would bring in a painting weekly for Robert to critique and imagine my delight when one day he said, you got Lupe; you know how to paint.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a visual artist that specializes in oils. I dabble in other mediums, but I always go back to oil paint. The luminosity that oils afford can not be reproduced in any other medium.
I feel that my work transports the viewer to the landscapes that I am portraying or inspires you by the people’s essence that I am painting. Often I will have the name of the painting before I even start and the story that goes with the artwork. The story is either about an emotion that I am feeling or a scene that I have witnessed.
With such turmoil and uncertainty in the world today, I want to paint transformative art that is calming to the viewer.
I am most proud when a viewer stands before my art and tells me they feel peaceful and want to walk into the painting. It often reminds me of my youth and the effect that John Constable had on me.
I think I am best known for my landscape and cityscapes. My husband and I travel, and my favorite part of the trip is taking out my camera and photographing the vista that I see. My husband often finds a bench and tells me that I am like a butterfly fluttering around. It is also coming home to my studio and trying to decide which one to paint first.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I like most about Palm Beach County is the beautiful skies and how the light illuminates the objects at dusk. I live near the coast, and when I stand on the sand and look to my right and left, it seems as if the beaches can go on forever, and the water shines in the sunlight. What I dislike the most are hurricanes.
Contact Info:
- Email: lupelawrence@yahoo.com
- Website: Arttimesbylupe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawrencelupe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lupe.lawrence/
