We recently had the chance to connect with Lori Mitchell and have shared our conversation below.
Lori, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
I am an artist and I do many things under that umbrella.
I am an art teacher, illustrator and I create fine art and public murals, among other miscellaneous art jobs. It seems as an artist I get to do a myriad of interesting projects.
There are so many misunderstandings that I run into. One is that somehow I should be a magician. I have been asked to draw people from photos that are blurry and small and I have never met the person but somehow because I am an artist I am expected to draw them exactly how they look.
I post sketches that I do for myself on Instagram. I love to sketch at coffee shops. People see those sketches and think that because I love to draw that I would love to draw something for them, and usually they want it for free. They think they are giving me a chance to do what I love doing. Drawing something that I did not choose to draw and getting direction on how to draw it is not as fun as just plopping down and drawing what excites me. A tip to anyone hiring an artists: Let them do what they do and they will come up with something much more interesting than what you think you want to tell them to do.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I received my BFA, with honors, from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. My work has been featured in juried exhibitions, galleries and museums. I illustrated 10 books including the award winning Different Just Like Me, which was featured on the Oprah show. My most recent work has been creating large scale murals for the public. I taught Drawing and Composition at Palomar College for 15 years and I currently teach Pen & Watercolor through the Athenaeum in La Jolla. I have also taken students on sketching tours in France and the Netherlands. On any given Sunday my husband and I can be found in local coffee shops, where I sketch and my husband reads.
I tend to draw and paint people and places. I want to capture those little everyday moments that may go unnoticed. I enjoy the immediacy of plein air sketching and painting. I carry a small watercolor palette and sketchpad everywhere I go. This medium doesn’t allow for many corrections or changes, which I like. That way, I do the work and move on. Just as I am capturing someone else’s moment I am conscious that I am also living that simple moment and documenting it with my sketches. I sometimes use those sketches as a jumping off point for a larger scale work.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I used to believe that I was very shy. My two older sisters were outgoing and funny. We were all a year apart and looked like triplets. My sisters could walk into a room full of strangers and walk out best friends with all of them. I would try to fade into the wallpaper and would try to disappear. When I was 18 I moved 350 miles away from home, all on my own. For the first time I wasn’t just “Little Wags,” the youngest of the Wangsness girls. Now I was my own person. I didn’t feel like I had to be like my sisters. I could just be myself, there were no expectations. I went to college and made friends. When I was 20 I decided to go to Europe on my own. Here I thought I was so shy but I backpacked through Europe and made friends with other tourists along the way. As time went on I did public speaking and I became a teacher. I now know I am not shy at all.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self I would say to trust that you are enough. Trust that you do not need to be someone else. Trust that if you keep doing what you are doing, your artwork will be enough. You don’t need to try to guess what artwork someone wants to see. You can do what speaks to you. Not everyone is going to like your art and that’s okay. It’s actually better if it’s not liked by everyone
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
What you see is what you get. I can’t imagine trying to keep two different versions straight.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
Once a week my husband and I go out to a different place for coffee. Well, I get chai, but we find a different coffee house somewhere in San Diego and I sketch and he reads. We hang out for maybe an hour or two. I have a sketchbook and my travel watercolors. I just draw whatever is around us. Usually people, dogs, and sweets. There’s always something new to sketch. Sometimes I like the sketch and sometimes it’s just okay. But it’s the act of sketching that feels so peaceful and centering. If I miss a week of sketching I can feel unsettled. Sketching is almost like a meditation for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Lorimitchellart.com
- Instagram: @lorimitchellart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-mitchell-b399bb12/
Image Credits
Lori Mitchell
