Art is a tradition in my family. As a child I was surrounded by
relatives
whose art was either their vocation or avocation.
Since I first began painting, I have shown a preference
for doing
works featuring people, especially members of my own family. I find
that
I am more interested and challenged when painting the people I care
about
- particularly as I strive to make these portraits radiate the sense of
affection I feel for the subjects.
Although I do an occasional landscape or still life, I find
portraits to
be more challenging. I hope my portraits do more than simply capture a
likeness. I strive to put on canvas some of the true character and soul
of the subject without resorting to sentimentality. I want my work to
reflect
serenity, and joy in life and living.
I was born and grew up in North Dakota,
being descended from Scandinavian pioneers who settled there.
I received a B.A. degree from Concordia College in
Moorhead, Minnesota.
My formal art training was completed under
English painter Robert Tovey, in Geneva, Switzerland, where my husband was employed at
a subsidiary of his U.S. employer, during the years 1964 through
1971.
Early in 2007, I decided to cut back on the time that I previously
devoted to painting. This decision was made reluctantly as painting has
been a very enjoyable creative outlet through the years.
The rationale for this decision has to do with the ever increasing
costs of submitting art to national exhibitions (entry fees, shipping
and handling costs, which are born solely by the artists). Increasing
incidents of improper handling of my art by shippers and exhibitors
also influenced my decision. I value my work too much to have it
subjected to careless handling.
In July, 2004, I suffered a stroke (from which I am nearly recovered).
Then in November of the same year, I fell and dislocated my right
shoulder, which required many months of strenuous therapy before I
could even consider painting once again. Exercising on my own for both
these conditions will, of course, continue for the indefinite future.
While I shall be painting on a smaller scale, I will maintain these web
pages - and will surely update them showing new work completed.
Laurel Jensen Paul
March 1, 2007
"There are pictures that manifest education and there are pictures that
manifest love."
- Robert
Henry, 1865-1929
Balloon
Festival
Oil
Privately
Owned
Tulip
Time
16" x
38"
Oil
Privately
Owned
"Tulip Time" was accepted as a juried entry by the Red River
Valley Museum, Vernon, Texas
, in the "Red
River Valley National Juried Art Exhibition." May 6 - June 30,
2005
"Tulip Time" was accepted as a juried entry by the Wayne
Arts Center, Wayne, Pennsylvania
, in their
"2004 National Spring Open Juried Exhibition," April 3 -28, 2004
"Tulip Time" was
accepted as a juried entry by the Jasper Arts Center, Jasper, Indiana
, in their "10th Annual Juried Art
Exhibition,"
September 3 - 28, 2003
Quiet Time 20" x
26"
Oil
Copper and Fruit 33" x
30" Oil
"Copper & Fruit" was a juried entry
into the Cody Country Art League, Cody, Wyoming,
"37th ANNUAL ART SHOW," July 1 - July 30, 2002
"Copper and
Fruit" was an entry into the McClain County Arts Center, Bloomington, Illinois, October
2001
Sleep 37" x
21"
Oil
Camping I 52" x
46" Oil
Matthew II 27" X
36" Oil
"Anticipation" was a juried entry into the Afif
Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, in their National Juried Exhibition "LIGHT," held at
the First Baptist Church of White Plains, White Plains, New York
, December 5, 2006 - January 5, 2007
"Anticipation" was a juried entry into the
Breckenridge Fine Arts Center, Breckenridge, Texas
,
in their "14th Annual Juried Art Competition," September 17 - October 14, 2005 and was
awarded the Lester Clark Memorial Award (2nd Place)
"Anticipation" ("Matthew II") was a juried entry into
the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, Southhampton, New York, in their "108th
Annual Open Juried Competition," held at The National Arts Club, New York, New York
, October 2 - 29, 2004
"Anticipation" ("Matthew II") was a juried
entry into the Artists of Northwest Arkansas/Arts Center of the Ozarks,
Springdale, Arkansas
, in their "Ninth Annual Fall
Regional Art Exhibition," November 17, 2003 - January 5, 2004
"Anticipation" ("Matthew II") was a juried
entry into the Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville/Douglas County, Douglasville, Georgia
, in
their "16th Annual Juried Fine Arts Show National Competition,"
November
1 - November 25, 2002
"Matthew II" was
a juried entry into the Louisiana Art and Artists' Guild, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
, in their
"32nd
Annual River Road Show," November 4 - 30, 2001
"Matthew II" was
a juried entry into the Fort Smith Art Center, Fort
Smith, Arkansas
, in their "51st Annual
Art
Competition," July 15 - August 26, 2001
Double Image 36" x 24"
Oil
"Double Image" was a juried entry into the
Illinois Art League, Peoria, Illinois , "Spring
Show," 1976, and received Best of Show Award
Camping 28" x 36" Oil
"Camping" was a juried entry into the Elk River Area
Arts Alliance, Elk River, Minnesota
, in their
"Arts in Harmony '06", Eleventh Annual National Juried Show,
February 6 - March 24, 2006
"Camping" was a juried entry into the St. Louis
Artists' Guild, St. Louis, Missouri
, in the "Explorations In Oil And Acrylics" national
exhibition, January 18 - March 6, 2004
"Camping" was a juried entry into the Englewood
Cultural Arts Center Association, Englewood, Colorado
, in their "Englewood Arts National Juried Art Show," February 15 - March 31,
2003, and received an Artistic Excellence Award
.
"Camping" was
a juried entry into the Twin City Art Foundation/Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, Louisiana
, in their
"29th
Annual Juried Competition," April 21 - June 8, 2002
"Camping" was a juried entry into the Community
Arts Association, Allendale, New Jersey, in their "National Open Exhibition,"
held at the Ridgewood Art Institute, Ridgewood, New
Jersey, March 5 - 23, 2001
"Camping" was a juried entry into the Northern
California Arts, Inc., Carmichael, California, in the
45th International Open Exhibition, "Bold Expressions," October 10 - October 29,
2000 (603 entries received and 105 works accepted), and received an Award of Excellence
.
Lillian and Carrie Hovland 37" x 30"
Oil
"Lillian and Carrie Hovland" was an entry
in the Illinois Art League, Peoria, Illinois, "Court
House Square Show," August 1974, and was given the Best of
Show Award
Cousins II 22" x 22" Oil
"Cousins II" was a juried entry into the New Visions
Gallery, Marshfield, Wisconsin
, in their "The Mighty Midwest Biennial III"
exhibition, December 4, 2005 - January 14, 2006
"Cousins II" was juried into the Connecticut
Academy of Fine Arts, Avon, Connecticut
, in their "93rd
Annual Exhibition," hosted by the Mystic Art Association, May 21 -
July 10, 2004
"Cousins II"
was juried into the Cody Country Art League, Cody,
Wyoming, in their "37th ANNUAL ART SHOW," July 1 - July 30, 2002, and awarded First Prize in the Professional Oil/Acrylic
category
"Cousins II" was a juried entry into the Yeiser
Art Center, Paducah, Kentucky, in their "Yeiser 2001:
A Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Art," October 21 - November 24, 2001, and
awarded a Merit Award
"Cousins II" was a juried entry, and was awarded an Honorable Mention, by the Illiana Artists, in
the "Illiana Artists Juried Show" at the Chesterton Art Gallery, Chesterton, Indiana
, January 16 - February
27, 2000.
