Lauren Forcella
The story of Lauren Forcella and art goes like this:
As a child always wanting to do art, but never being able to draw — she still can’t — she took another path. That path, a promising career in hydrogeology, was overshadowed by a curious case of environmental whistleblowing which she will someday write about. At the speed of life, four little kids got born, her very own, a Master’s Degree in Consciousness Studies was won, and a children’s book about the elements of the natural world got written (Lauren was always—a writer). The leader of Lauren’s writing group repeatedly hammered on her to attend a painter’s group called “Wild Carrots”. Linda finally said the magic words: “You could create the images for your book.” With that, Lauren acquiesced thinking indeed she could probably paint some cool “first-grader” art. What a shock to discover the dormant talent lying just under the floorboards.
“I was 40, in the flow of raising four fantastic kids, when I was first thrust into a roomful of acrylics, brushes and paper and discovered the meaning of the word “talent”. People are surprised that I’m self-taught, but you can hardly call it that. I can’t emphasize how surreal the onset was; painting arrived as an already-developed skill that continues to astonish. I guess that’s what talent is. You don’t necessarily have to earn it. (So unfair!) It’s just there if you’re lucky, and you’re even luckier if you discover it.”
Weeks after this “discovery”, Lauren and her family relocated to New Hampshire, where a new friend, impressed with her work from the painter’s group, sponsored an art studio for her. Over the ensuing years, while raising the children, getting a 3rd-degree Black Belt in Taekwondo and taking gold in three national sparring championships, Lauren created over a hundred paintings.
Writing took hold again in 2004 as Lauren followed her brainchild and founded the weekly syndicated “Straight Talk Advice” column carried in 23 newspapers nationally, including the Santa Rosa Press Democrat [2008-2016].). As the column expanded and gained critical acclaim, the paintings stopped flying off the easel, and eventually stopped even being painted. All that has changed and Lauren-the-artist is BACK! She “retired” the column in 2016 and new paintings are again flying off the easel.
“I loved writing the Straight Talk Advice column. Working with all the teen panelists and making a difference in the world was the thrill of a lifetime. That said, my nervous system is soo glad to be painting again. I feel like I’m home after a long journey.”
Much of Lauren’s work is large format. She works with oils and acrylics in several distinct styles: museum-quality florals, impressionistic and expressionistic landscapes, and textural mixed-media abstracts. The breathtaking depth and color has a healing quality that lights up life, inside and out. Her guiding principle is described by Hazrat Inayat Khan: “When the artist loses himself in his art, then the art comes to life.”
Lauren’s work has been collected nationally and abroad. She is new to Sonoma County and looks forward to answering your questions about showing, acquiring or commissioning her original paintings and giclee canvas prints. For more information, contact:
Lauren Forcella
email: laurenforcella@gmail.com
website: http://laurenforcella.com
916-337-7057
Currently showing at:
Elle Lui, Santa Rosa (till March 18, 2017)
Flowersong Florist, Sebastopol (ongoing)
Exhibitions:
2017: Solo art show, Elle Lui, Santa Rosa CA, Dec-March 18, 2017
2012: Solo art show, Gold River, CA
2011: Solo art show, Bukovina, Auburn, CA
2004: Selected Artist, Art in Print Calendar
2004: Featured Artist, Auburn Printers & No Cal Artists, Auburn, CA
2009: Solo art show, Bella Fiore, Fair Oaks, CA
2008: Solo art show, Sacramento Art Complex, Sacramento, CA
2007: Group art show, Art de Soul opening, Irvine, CA
2004: Group art show, Auburn Center for the Arts, Auburn, CA
2001: Solo art show, Latitudes, Auburn, CA
2000: Solo art show, Renaissance Room, Peterborough, NH
1999: Solo art show, Expressions Gallery, Milford, NH
Press:
2009: Feature Story, American River Messenger, Feb 10, Sacramento, CA
Collectors:
Stephanie Cumberland, Carmel, CA
Diane Duncan, Granite Bay, CA
Kitty Chelton, Sebastopol, CA
Jeanne Gravette, Medford, OR
Twana Sparks, Silver City, NM
Han Jin Lee, Seoul, S. KOREA
Lennon Cole & Julia Ritchie, Los Angeles, CA
Diane Bell, Milford, NH
Michelle DeLongchamp, Greenfield, NH
Susan & Rocco Chiappini, Milford, NH
Cindy Mussat, Boca Raton, FL
Justin & Rose Powell, Auburn, CA
Colette O’Connor, Pacific Grove, CA
Barbara Lewton, Portland, OR
Donna Arz, Auburn, CA
Heidi Hook, Auburn, CA
Akasha Cole, Studio City, CA
Jim & Janette Forcella, Redding, CA
Geoff Forcella, Redding, CA
Wendy Woodward, Redding, CA
Lisa Schrader, Colfax, CA
Glenn & Sheryl Barney, Colfax, CA
Kathlene Carney, Richmond, CA
Sondra Hersh, Auburn, CA
Teddi Jensen, Sacramento, CA
Autumn Day, Sacramento, CA
Linda Lopez, Fairfax, CA
Anna Johnson, Fairfax, CA
Claire Boucher, Auburn, CA
Laura Wood, Loomis, CA
Sarah Jensen, Chico, CA
Adrienne Huston, Ontario, CANADA
