Lori Putnam

Lori Putnam (b. 1962) began painting professionally in her mid-30s. The feel of the paint immediately ignited her love affair with the medium and she knew there was no turning back. No stranger to hard work and dedication, she quickly gained recognition as one of the top, living American Impressionists. When viewed in a photograph, her work may appear tightly rendered. But upon seeing it in person, viewers are instantly engaged by thick, expressive paint As a Contemporary American Impressionist, what interests me is rarely any specific subject unto itself. Instead I see color harmony, rhythms, patterns, and strong shapes. Weaving in and out, the world at 60 mph, life in real view, this is how I paint. It is fascinating seeing this way. My art engages its viewers, like passersby who have to stop and move in more closely. The work invites them to find their own answers, like following clues to a mystery, and they can become an artist themselves, even if only for a brief time. Putnam has been featured in numerous issues of Western Art Collector, American Art Collector Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art, Fine Art Connoisseur, and Art of the West. She is a member of many respected organizations including the Salmagundi Club in New York City, the Oil Painters of America, the Portrait Society of America, the American Impressionist Society, and the California Art Club. Her paintings have received top awards in exhibitions associated with each of these organizations, as well as dozens of invitational events and exhibitions. In 2019 she accepted an appointment as Vice President of Art Ambassador for a Colorful World, and travels to work with children in less privileged areas of the world. Museums, including The Tucson Museum of Art, The Brinton Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming, The Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, Montana, The High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, the Irvine Museum in California, and The Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland have sought out Putnam's works for awards, exhibitions, and/or permanent collection. The latest to add her work to their collection is the Irvine Museum in California. Lori Putnam paints small to medium-sized works en plein air and creates large paintings in her studio in Charlotte, Tennessee.