ori Putnam’s work leans to almost abstraction. When seen in a photograph, her paintings appear to be
renderings of subjects. In-person, however, it is a different story. Large strokes of color lay seemingly randomly on the canvas in differing thicknesses. It is not until the view steps back that an image begins to appear.
Recognized for her expressive brushwork, contemporary compositions, and intelligent use of color, Nashville, Tennessee native Lori Putnam paints small to medium-sized works en plein air and creates large paintings in her studio. Having painted and taught in almost 30 different countries (including Ukraine, New Zealand, Guatemala, much of Europe, and the UK), she believes that works created from life help her maintain freshness in her studio paintings as well.
She credits her love of the outdoors and creative spirit to those many hours spent by herself as a young child. Her high school art classes became one of the first places she recognized an aptitude for drawing and the desire to paint. However, it was many years and career choices later that Putnam considered a life as a fine artist. Leaving graphic design to paint full-time in 2005, she and her husband sold their home to provide a means for her to follow her path. They moved to Italy in 2008 for eight months while Lori experimented and concentrated on lessons she had learned back home. She considers herself self-taught but credits many artist friends for giving her advice, instruction, and courage.
Over the years her work has won a number of awards in plein air festivals and organizational exhibitions, including through the Salmagundi Club, the Portrait Society, the Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society, The National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, and American Women Artists. In 2021, she was the Grand Prize winner of the Annual Plein Air Salon for the painting Safe Harbor, and the winner of the People’s Choice award for Headin’ Home. She serves as the Vice President for Art Ambassador for a Colorful World, a non-profit organization founded by Kevin Macpherson, bringing art and joy to children and adults in less-advantaged areas of the world.
Lori’s new book So Far is scheduled to release on May 1, 2023. Additionally, she will be the featured faculty member and Pre-Convention Workshop instructor for the Plein air Convention in Denver in May, the first woman to hold this position.–
