NoHo Gallery LA

Lana Blades BIO

As an artist, Lana grew up in Southern California with a family of artists. She received a lot of inspiration from her wonderful aunt in San Francisco. Plus, she was also inspired by teachers that have taught her and especially by Karen Blackwood who is a fabulous portrait artist. She has always encouraged Lana to paint and to escape into her own world. Lana wants people to enjoy and connect with my work.

In her own words: “As an artist I go through the newspaper daily, and collect photos and take my own photos. I contemplate and study each photo to consider what a great painting this would be. “I see a painting coming on”, I say. I try to recapture the emotion and create my own style through the medium of watercolors and various experiments with ink, fabrics, paper and natural items to enhance my work.

As for my Katrina Series: When I realized that this was one of the worst natural disasters in our nation’s history, and I couldn’t believe this could have happened and how all the people were crying for help. I was drawn to the photos I collected day after day relating to this tragedy. I wondered if this could this happen to us here in California and would our state be able to really handle it. A great deal of emotion came up in me at this point.

Also, we had thousands of our brothers and sisters of our religious affiliation there and we wanted to know if they were getting help they needed. We went to a website to check how we could help and we also called our main headquarters in New York to find out if they were being accounted for. Then I decided to do the Dome piece when the people were told to flee New Orleans and some of the older ones couldn’t leave. So after the hurricane, they went to the Dome looking for our friends. This is how I decided to paint this picture of the woman and her child.

We have had the privilege of meeting two older women who had to flee without their teeth and we were able to help them. FEMA was also helping them along with other friends, who all donated items for them to live in L.A. Some of these older people were in their eighties. As I went to the paper day after day, I continued to see these people in the midst of the tragedy and wanted to paint more of what I saw, especially mothers with children.

Artists of "The Good Life"

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When: January 18 - February 24

OPENING Public Reception: Wednesday, January 24 from 6:30-10:30PM
CLOSING Public Reception: Wednesday, February 21 from 6:30-10:30PM

Where:
5108 Lankershim Blvd.
NOrth HOllywood, CA 91601
NoHo Gallery LA is located in the historic Lankershim Arts Center

Lankershim Arts Center:
NoHo Gallery LA is located at the Lankershim Art Center in the heart of the NoHo Arts District. The Lankershim Arts Center was built in 1939 and is a cultural historic landmark. The center is also home to the award-winning Road Theatre Company making it a true center for the arts.