Laurie Werth

Artist Statement

My work explores memory through the language of plant life. I’m drawn to quiet, easily overlooked moments, such as plants on the forest floor, the frenzy of pollinator activity, and the hushed movement of leaves in the breeze. These scenes are less about specific places or plants and more about the feeling of having once been there.

Each piece is created quickly and intuitively, while the ink and washes are still wet and responsive. I work into the surface in a fluid state, allowing blooms, bleeds, and soft atmospheric edges to form naturally. My classical training informs my attention to structure, value, and composition, even within this spontaneous approach. Layering is critical to the process; as the paint begins to dry, I re-enter with more defined marks, drawing firmer forms out of the earlier diffusion.

Ultimately, these paintings are not records of landscape but impressions of experience. They are visual daydreams that exist somewhere between observation and recollection.