Laura Nothern
“I make allegorical paintings inspired by classical and biblical narratives, myths, and fairy tales, integrated with my dreams and experiences. I enjoy mixing my mythologies and fusing characters, styles, and symbols, in order to explore archetypal themes that play out across multiple cultures. I’m interested in synthesizing constellations of similar ideas into one image – creating a new set of relationships between the parts – with new layers of interpretive potential. I prefer painting in oil colors, drawing with charcoal, and using classical ideas of form & space – while incorporating my contemporary sensibilities. The works are grounded in drawing from observation, then interwoven with memories and reflections. I further add visual quotations (compositions, landscapes, & characters) from masterworks, because they provide a template for revision, and keep me rooted in the visual dialogue of paintings past & present. This practice also challenges me to grow through the integration of their forms, and encourages a humble appreciation of what has come before.”
Born in 1969, Nothern’s formal art education began at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln where she earned her BFA in 1994. After graduation, she continued to develop her painting, and started to sell works through galleries to private collectors. After a series of immersive life experiences, in 2011 Nothern embarked on an intensive, 4 year study abroad at Studio Escalier, in France. Here she embraced the rigorous study of drawing and painting the figure from life in a contemporary classical manner. This included making extensive studies from original artworks in the Louvre. From classical sculpture to Baroque masterworks, Nothern relished every moment of this practice. She returned to the Pacific Northwest in 2015, and began a new series of paintings inspired by her studies abroad. Nothern started a long-pose drawing group at the Oregon Society of Artists, and began to teach drawing and painting at Pacific Northwest College of Art in an Atelier-style program. She then moved back to Nebraska in 2018 to complete a large, private commission. Once completed, Nothern started to teach classes through Joslyn Art Museum and the Kent Bellows Mentorship Program in Omaha, NE. She currently offers some online and in-person classes focused on promoting a culture of ongoing practice, mindful observation, and classical, skill based learning.