Meet Lauri Kaye | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauri Kaye and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauri, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“Art is not instant like coffee and potatoes” is one of the many random but meaningful statements my high school art school teacher, John Sears, said to me one day. I loved that he was trying to teach us how important patience is and staying the course when what evolving is not what you had envisioned. Creating artwork can be meditative and joyful but for me, it often requires hard work and lots of faith.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have created a series called “Tucson Portrait Stories” illuminating the people, places, and events that make Tucson extraordinary. The subject matter ranges from people I meet spontaneously walking in different neighborhoods, like a man selling jars of salsa from his home. I’ll ask if they are ok with me taking a photo and asking them questions so I can do their portrait. I integrate a 3-4 sentence story about them into the art and love returning a month later to give them a print of the artwork. This process of seeking out material keeps me focused on seeking out the best unpeople, and our unique desert landscape. The process I use has developed from trial and error and involves drawing in black and white, taking a photograph of the drawing in order to create a digital file, and then using photographs as well as adobe photoshop to add color in the negative spaces. Ultimately I print the artwork on metal as I love outdoor art, murals, etc.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So many gems here in Tucson. I would start by going for a bike ride on The Loop then grab a tamale and coffee at Barrio barista in Barrio Hollywood. Afterward, we would visit the DeGrazia gallery (and chapel) my favorite place on earth, sit on one of the wooden benches and look at the epic Tucson blue skies out of the carved-out ceiling. We would then hike on one of the many Sabino Canyon trails. Lunch would be at Boca for tacos and tequila, then walk it off down Fourth Ave to Hotel Congress. It is a short drive to MSA Annex where we would pick up some local treasures at Why I Love Where I Live. or fresh tortillas and tres leches cake. The drive over Gates Pass is one of the most spectacular in the world, not to be missed at sunset so we’d stop and stretch there for awhile after a visit to San Xavier Mission and the Desert Museum. Did I say we would the car would be stocked with chocolates from Monsoon Chocolate company?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My friend Bonnie and I often meet and talk about “breaking the code” aka how to break into the art world in order to show and sell artwork. She suggested I do a series that eventually became “Tucson Portrait Stories”. This has been my focus for 7+ years and now have 60 mixed-media digital collages on metal with a wide range of subject matter.

Website: createforthepeople.com

Instagram: laurikaye.createforthepeople

Facebook: facebook.com/createfortucson