Artist Lori Morrell-Whitaker spent her childhood playing in the woods of the Big Thicket and the shores of the Gulf coast. Her love for drawing and painting was inspired by the desire to capture the natural beauty of the surrounding area.
Lori received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and her Master of Art Education degree from the University of North Texas. She shared her passion for art by teaching art at multiple grade levels. She specialized in teaching High School Advanced Placement Drawing, Advanced Placement 2D Design and International Baccalaureate Art.
Lori’s artwork originates from her need to honor her roots. She captures memories of family and places that have impacted her life. Working in mixed media with old family photos, hand painted paper, maps, journal pages, locks of hair and found objects, she weaves together stories of love, life and loss. In doing so she immortalizes her subjects and environments, and pieces together her own identity.
Although drawn to mixed media, Lori has used painting, printmaking, charcoal figure drawing and portrait studies in her work. Lori says of her process, “I like to focus on the idea and then choose the media that will best express it. I piece together the parts of my life that identify who I am, where I have been, and what I understand to be true.” She enjoys using elements from nature that connect her to places like the woods or beaches of Texas. Family, Spirituality, and the impact of nature are themes she explores in her art.
Lori describes her artwork, “as a reflection of my internal memories of my external journey through life.”