Lawre Stone

Lives and works in Ghent, NY, USA

Artist statement

My paintings combine natural imagery and the language of abstraction in otherworldly landscapes that explore environmental issues and the relationship between interior worlds and outer experience. The process begins with a series of preliminary ink sketches, followed by the application of thin layers of acrylic on canvas to construct an atmospheric foundation, gradually building depth and mood. Transitioning to oil paint and employing vivid, gestural strokes, I craft a dynamic space where bold flora takes form. The resulting images, almost archetypal organic forms, transcend mere depictions of individual plants, instead capturing the unseen essence of the vegetal world. My hybrid plant forms, a fusion of observation and imagination, neither entirely real nor fictional, evoke a sense of transformation and perseverance. I depend on the plant world as a subject, refuge, and inspiration. Many of my larger-than-life plant forms refer to invasive or displaced species that thrive in our local environment, often without natural predators or climate indicators to impede their growth. As sentient beings, plants are in constant, contiguous, and contingent interaction with the world. My latest works are painted on rolls of watercolor paper and unfurl onto the floor, forming scrolls. Merging botanical illustration and abstraction, I present flowers as personified beings with a palpable presence and spirit. The larger-than-life plant bodies are transformed into portrait subjects. The...

Artwork