Laura Ross Paul
Images | Bio
Artist's Statement - April 2008
I was given a particular challenge for this show. Jerry Slipman, my gallery dealer, told me that there had been interest in the landscape background of my figure paintings. He suggested I do some work focused entirely on the landscape. Seven of my sixteen paintings include a figure embedded in the landscape. Nine are entirely landscape paintings.
The experience has brought some unexpected insights. In both types of paintings, I begin by looking for overall unifying patterns of light. This is done in a technique of oil and wax that emphasizes luminosity. On top of this I layer fractal patterns found in nature to depict the foliage elements. While I use reference material, at a certain point I'm responding to the painting in an intuitive, even abstracted way. My goal is to depict the essence of the experience of being in a natural setting, in a state of somewhat altered consciousness where patterns of light have their own mystery and power.
After doing the landscape paintings without figures, I realized that I do so much to incorporate the figure in the paintings, such as by echoing a pattern or a line, that the paintings with figures are very similar to those with no figure at all. I have come to learn that when painting people in nature, I make them very much a part of nature, which I feel is the true state of our existence. Even when we live in crowded cities and seldom commune with nature, we cannot escape the world that feeds us body and soul.
Artist's Resume abridged
BORN
1950 Portland, Oregon
EDUCATION
1978 B.S. Arts-Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
1976 M.F.A. Painting-Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
1974 B.F.A. Painting-Fort Wright College, Spokane, Washington
1972-74 Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
1968-70 Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2007 Laura Ross-Paul: The Allusive Self, curated by Jessica Hunter
Larsen, Coburn Gallery, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO (catalogue)
2006 Naked, Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR (catalogue)
2005 Pattern and Illusion, Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR
2004 Connect, Pacini Lubel Gallery, Seattle, WA
2003 Juggling, Jenkins-Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2002 Simple Geometry, Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR
2000 Markers, Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR (catalogue)
1999 Dances and Exorcisms, Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR
Realism Into Abstraction, Jenkins Johnson Gallery,
San Francisco, CA
1997 Defying Gravity, Froelick Adelhart Gallery, Portland, OR
(brochure)
1996 The Emotion of Light, Grover/Thurston Gallery, Seattle, WA
History Lessons, Froelick Adelhart Gallery, Portland, OR
1995 New Paintings, Grover/Thurston Gallery, Seattle, WA
Recent Work, Oils and Monotypes, Oregon State University,
Fairbanks Gallery, Corvallis, OR
Studies for the Light Rail Mural, Oregon State University
Fairbanks Gallery, Corvallis, OR
1994 Collective Meditations, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
The Five Senses: New Lithographs, Elizabeth Leach Gallery,
Portland, OR
1993 Laura Ross-Paul: Oil Paintings, Ceremonial Office of the Governor, Salem, OR
Oil Paintings and Watercolors, Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle,
1991 Oil Paintings and Watercolors, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland,
1990 A Decade of Painting: 1981-1990, curated by Terri Hopkins and Paul Sutenin, The Art Gym-Marylhurst University, OR, (catalogue)
Paintings and Drawings, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
1988 Northwest Viewpoints: Laura Ross-Paul-Watercolors, curated by John Weber, Portland Art Museum, OR (catalogue)
1987 Elizabeth Leach Gallery, Portland, OR
1985 The Fountain Gallery, Portland, OR
1984 Works Dealing with Nature and Dreams, Multnomah Art Center, Portland, OR
The Fountain Gallery, Portland, OR
1983 New Paintings and Watercolors, The Fountain Gallery, Portland,
1982 The Fountain Gallery, Portland, OR
1981 The Fountain Gallery, Portland, OR
1980 The Fountain Gallery, Portland, OR
1979 The Fountain Gallery, Portland, OR
1978 The Fountain Gallery, Portland, OR
1977 Oregon State University-Honors Gallery, Corvallis, OR
1976 Thesis Exhibition, Portland State University-Gallery 299, Portland,
1974 Thesis Exhibition, Fort Wright College, Spokane, WA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS, SELECTED
2006 Flora, Pacini Lubel Gallery, Seattle, WA
Laura Ross-Paul, Kathrine Ace, Sherie Wolf, Paris Gibson Square
Museum, Great Falls, MN
2005 drawing(s) 40+ artists/200 works: A 25th anniversary exhibition,
T. Hopkins, curator, Art Gym, Marylhurst
University, Marylhurst, OR
First Person: a juried group exhibit, Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR
Winter Group Show, Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR
Unexpected Watercolors, Marylhurst College, Marylhurst, OR
2004 Opening Exhibition, Pacini Lubel Gallery, Seattle, WA
The Clown Show, Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR
Fifth Annual Realism Exhibit, Jenkins Johnson Gallery,
San Francisco, CA
Winter Group Show, Froelick Gallery, Portland, OR
2003 Building Tradition: Gifts in Honor of the Northwest Art Collection,
Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
Humanature, Pringle Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Art Equinox 2003: Regional Survey of Contemporary Art,
Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, Great Falls MT
2002 Summer 2002, Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, NY
2001 Northwest Narrative: Portland, Portland Institute for
Contemporary Art, Portland, OR
2000 Wonder Women: 34 Amazing Oregon Women Artists, The Art Gym,
Marylhurst University, OR
1999 Realism Into Abstraction, Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco
1999 Talent, Alan Stone Gallery, New York, NY
1998 Here & Now, tidbit, Portland, OR, Curator: Randy Gragg
1997 Oregon Biennial, Portland Art Museum, OR,(award)
1996 Strong Hearts, Inspired Minds, Clark College-Archer Gallery,
Vancouver, WA (publication)
1995 Northwest Women Artists, Seattle Convention Center
Friesen Gallery, WA
1993 Crosscut, Portland Art Museum, OR, Curators: Kristy Edmunds
John Weber, Prudence Roberts, Terry Toedtemeier
1992 Brenau College National Invitational Art Exhibition
Gainesville, GA, Juror: Leo Castelli
1991 Oregon Biennial, Portland Art Museum, OR, traveling through 1992
1990 Faces, Figures, Gestures and Signs, Oregon Art Museum
Portland, Curator: John Weber
NW x SW: Painted Fictions, Palm Springs Desert Museum
Palm Springs, CA traveling (catalogue)
1989 ArtQuake, Portland, OR, Curator: Mary Beebe
1987 Oregon Biennial, Oregon Art Institute, Portland
Juror: James Demetrion
Northwest '87, Seattle Art Museum, WA, Curator: Bruce Guenther
1986 Color Print USA, Museum at Texas Tech University,
Lubbock, Juror: Cornelia McSheehy (catalog)
1985 Portland Painting Now, Marylhurst University, OR (catalogue)
1983 Print West, Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art
Utah State University, Logan, UT
1982 Northwest Prints '82, Portland Art Museum, OR
1982 Printmakers Annual, Mt Hood Community College, Gresham, OR
1981 Group Show, The Fountain Gallery of Art, Portland, OR
1980 Representational Art, The Art Gym-Marylhurst University, OR
1979 Open Studio Show, Studio 614, Portland, OR
1978 Professional Women's National Conference Show
Seattle Convention Center, WA (invitational)
1976 Four, Mt Hood Community College, Portland, OR
1975 Oregon Annual, Portland Art Museum, OR
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2003-2006 Creator and Director, Golden Gallery, Beaverton Lodge
Retirement Residence, Beaverton OR
1998-2001 Steering Committee, Portland State University
Art Department Alumni Assoc, OR
1997 Works of Faith juror, First Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR
Student Art Show juror, Portland Community College, OR
1996 Regional Arts and Culture Council-Project Grant Panelist
Visual Arts, Portland, OR
1994-1995 Metropolitan Arts Commission-Chair of Grant Panel:
Multidiscipline Project Grants, Portland
1994-1995 Commissioner, Metropolitan Arts Commission
The City of Portland, OR
1994 Visual and Media Arts Panel, Metropolitan Arts Commission
Portland, Oregon
Advisory Artist-Arts-In-Education, Portland Public School, OR
William Jamison Scholarship-Inaugural Juror Pacific Northwest
College of Art, Portland, OR
1993 Women in the Arts juror, Center for the Performing Arts
Intermediate Theater, Portland, OR
1992 Founding Board Member: ART/NET, Portland, OR
non-profit arts resource/advocacy group
1990 Executive Committee Member, Portland, OR, Arts Plan 2000+
Arts Plan 2000+-Steering Committee, The City of Portland, OR
Artist Needs Task Force Leader for a major sub-division
of the Arts Plan 2000+, Portland, OR
Undercurrents curator, Portland Center for the
Visual Arts, OR (catalogue)
1981-1984 Board Member, Oregon College of Arts and Crafts
Portland, OR
1976-1979 Co-Founder-Northwest Artists Workshop alternative
exhibit space, Portland, OR
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
1996-2006 Advanced Painting: The Figure, Associate Professor
of Painting, Portland State University
1990-2006 The Figure in Watercolor, Sitka Center for Art and Ecology
Otis, OR
1994 Watercolor Monotype, Oregon College of Art and Craft
Portland, OR
1986-1988 Life Drawing and Third Year Painting, Pacific Northwest
College of Art, Portland, OR, since
Painting and Drawing, Lewis and Clark College, Portland, OR
1986-1987 Advanced Painting, Marylhurst University
Lifelong Learning Center, OR
1983-1984 Painting/Basic Drawing; and Basic Drawing
Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
1980-1984 Watercolor/Figure; Life Drawing; Drawing; and Watercolor
and Portrait Painting, Pacific Northwest College
of Art, Portland, OR
1979-1985 Life Drawing; and Watercolors and Drawing, Oregon College
of Art and Craft, Portland, OR
1976-1978 Painting; Drawing; Life Painting; and Life Drawing
Portland State University, OR
1974-1976 Painting, Oregon State Penitentiary, Salem, OR
AWARDS AND COMMISSIONS
2002 Carey and Glenn S Strome Agriculture Art Memorial Purchase
Award, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Join, Portland Art Museum-Gilkey Center for the Graphic Arts,
OR, intaglio edition for the Patron Print
1998 Governor's Arts Awards, Oregon Arts Commission
series of oil paintings for the awards
1997 Juror's Award: Oregon Biennial, Portland Art Museum
OR, Curator: Kathryn Kanjo
Juror's Award: Pacific Northwest Annual, Bellevue Art Museum
WA, Curator: Kathryn Kanjo
1996 Harold and Arlene Schnitzer and Claremont Hotel of Berkeley, CA
1995 Tri-Met Westside Lightrail Zoo Station, Metropolitan Arts
Commission, Portland, OR, Curator: Kristy Edmunds
1990 USA Network Movie-Spy, Hollywood, CA, series of paintings
1985 The Visual Chronicle, Metropolitan Arts Commission
painting documenting Portland, OR
1980 Individual Artist Fellowship Recipient, Oregon Arts Commission
Salem, OR
CORPORATE AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Arnot Art Museum, Elmira, NY
Bellevue Athletic Club, Bellevue, WA
Boutwell, Beard, Grimes, Portland, OR
City of Portland- Portable Works
City of Portland-The Visual Chronicle
City of Seattle-Printworks 2001
Emanuel Hospital, Portland, OR
Fine Arts Graphics, Tualatin, OR
First Interstate Bank, Portland, OR
Fort Wright College, Spokane, WA
Frank Russell Company, Tacoma, WA
Gilkey Center for the Graphic Arts, Portland, OR
Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Salem, OR
Kaiser Permanent, Portland, OR
Kaiser Permanent, Vancouver, WA
Lutheran Business Collective, Salem, OR
Management Compensation Group, Portland
Mentor Graphics, Wilsonville, OR
Dr. Debbie Miller, Portland, OR
Northwest Film Center-Portland Art Museum
Ochoco Lumber, OR
Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Portland Art Museum, OR
Portland Community College-Prfm Art Center
Portland State University, OR
Sheraton Hotel, Seattle, WA
State Capitol, Salem, OR
State Office Building, Pendleton, OR
State Office Building, Portland, OR
State of Washington, Olympia, WA
U.S. Bank, Portland, Oregon
W Hotel, Seattle, WA
Wacker Chemical International, Portland, OR
MONOGRAPHS, SELECTED
2000 Markers, Froelick Adelhart Gallery, Portland, OR, Essay:
Jeffrey Wechsler (exhibition catalogue)
A Painter's Passage, D.K. Row, The Oregonian, Portland, OR,
2 November, E1, E5
Laura Ross-Paul: Taking Chances, D.K. Row, The Oregonian,
Portland, OR, 21 May, F2
1999 Technical Gems, D.K. Row and Randy Gragg, The Oregonian,
Portland, 16 July, p 66
1997 Ross-Paul, Mike Roberts, Untitled, Portland, OR,
Issue #34, November, J
Ross Paul on Ross Paul, Randy Gragg, The Oregonian,
Portland, OR, November, E1
1996 Gallery Walk: Laura Ross-Paul, Robin Updike, Seattle Times
WA, 12 December, p 80
Clarity: The Eyes Have It, Megan McMorran, The Oregonian
Portland, 12 January, 16-17
BOOKS
2003 Artists of the West, Douglas Bullis, Schiffer Publishing
1996 Strong Hearts, Inspired Minds, Anne Mavor, Portland, OR
1995 Contemporary Art in the Northwest, Lois Allan,
Craftsman House, Australia, pp 172-3
1992 Modernism and Beyond, Women Artists of the Pacific Northwest,
Lois Allan, Midmarch Arts Press, New
York, NY, p 107;
Northwest Originals, Oregon Women & Their Art
Laura Ross-Paul: Watercolor Painting, Lois Allan,
In Unison Publications, Portland, OR, pp 92-93
1990 The Visual Chronicle of Portland, Volume One:
Acquisitions 1985-1989, Metropolitan Arts Commission,
Portland, OR, Henk Pander essay, p 29
CATALOGUES
2005 Pattern and Illusion, Froelick Gallery exhibit catalogue
2002 George Johanson: Artist's Portraits, Portland Art Museum
OR, Essay: Prudence Roberts
2001 Pressure Points, The Art Gym-Marylhurst University, OR,
Essay: Elizabeth Anne Bilyeum
Third Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins Johnson Gallery
San Francisco, CA
Re Presenting Realism V, Arnot Museum, Elmira, NY
Curator: John O'Hern
2000 Markers, Froelick Adelhart Gallery, Portland, OR
Essay: Jeffrey Wechsler
Wonder Women: 34 Amazing Oregon Women Artists
Marylhurst University, OR
Second Annual Realism Invitational, Jenkins Johnson Gallery
San Francisco, CA, p 12, Essay: Valerie Gladstone
1997 Oregon Biennial 97, Portland Art Museum, p 29
Essay: Kathryn Kanjo
1994 NWPC Print Invitational, University of Hawaii at Hilo
Campus Center Gallery
1993 Crosscut/Contemporary Art from Oregon, Portland Art Museum, OR
1991 Northwest Print Council Tenth Anniversary Exhibition
Portland Art Museum, OR
1990 NW x SW: Painted Fictions, Palm Desert Museum
Laura Ross-Paul-A Decade of Painting, Terri Hopkins
Marylhurst University, OR
1988 Northwest Viewpoints: Laura Ross-Paul-Watercolors
Portland Art Museum, OR, Essay: John Weber
1987 Perspectives 9: Northwest Expressionism, Portland Art Museum
OR, Essay: Mary Priester
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