Local News

Love of Botanicals

Laurie Fox turns late start into art for local shelters

NEW ULM – New Ulm artist Laurie Fox, 76, is exhibiting "Love of Botanicals" at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture.

Fox began painting five years ago at age 71. She started with Crayola paints and brushes and instructional videos on YouTube. She began by making greeting cards for shops including New Ulm's Own and later showed work at GnomeMade Market. 

She now works from Room 317 on the third floor of The Grand and sells work online and in the center's gift shop.

"I decided that in my retirement, I didn’t need to be making money off of it," Fox said. "I'd always decided I want to do some volunteer work, and this is my volunteer work."

One hundred percent of profits from the exhibit are donated to NUMAS Haus, an emergency shelter for women and children, and Ivy House, a crisis nursery.

For the past few years Fox worked primarily in watercolor. In February she began working in acrylic and layered printmaking. 

The exhibition includes botanical gelli plate prints, acrylic paintings and works on linen panels.

"This is kind of new for me," Fox said. "Generally, my medium has been watercolor. Acrylic is new for me, and I started just since February."

A central technique in the show is gelli plate printing. 

Fox said she learned the method online from an artist in Canada. She starts with a 12-by-14-inch or 16-by-20-inch gel plate. 

She uses Golden Open Acrylics, which she said dry slower than other acrylics.

"I use Golden Open Acrylics because they dry slower, allowing me to pull off at least four sheets of artist tissue from each grouping," Fox said.

Fox said she puts down a layer of acrylic onto the plate, then arranges botanical clippings. 

The first tissue pulls off most of the background color, leaving white spaces where the botanicals are laying. She described that as a negative print.

"Tissue #1 pulls off the most amount of the background color, leaving white spaces where all the botanicals are laying," Fox said. "Tissue #2 usually will pull off all the remaining background color still leaving white spaces, another negative print."

At that point she lifts off the pieces of leaves and flowers. The third tissue picks up the detail of the plants themselves.

"At that point I lift off the pieces of leaves and flowers and Tissue #3 shows such beautiful details of those plants," she wrote.

Tissue #4 is a lightly detailed final pull.

The gallery installation shows the sequence. Four sheets of artist tissue are pinned directly to the wall in a grid, demonstrating the progression from a dark background with white silhouettes to a light sheet with green and yellow leaf imprints. 

The framed works nearby show the same botanicals finished with added paint and ink.

"I call these negative prints because the plants are still on that jelly plate," Fox said. "You put acrylic paint on it, and then you lay down your leaves and your flowers. You use real plants. Once you take these off, you’re left with the really detailed part of the leaf or the grasses."

Fox said she prints onto tissue paper or onto prepainted paper and linen panels. She then adds inked outlines and painted accents by hand. One group of framed tulip compositions in orange and red is on display near the gallery entrance. 

One tag visible in the show lists a price of $75. Another piece titled Orange Vine lists a price of $100. The note on that piece describes it as a "fuchsia image enhanced with added leaves and stems in acrylic."

"I plan my colors, but I really paint fast," Fox said.

Fox was photographed in the gallery pointing to a green fern print and to the four-part tissue sequence, explaining the process to visitors. 

She said she has experimented with printing on linen panels that give the appearance of embroidery from a distance.

Fellow resident Becky Koehler attended the exhibition. Koehler said she owns several of Fox's pieces and assists during events.

"I love it. I’ve seen her work for a long time, and she goes through phases where she does different things," Koehler said. "This is totally different from what she’s done before. It’s very colorful."

"I have so many good friends that will help me set up and work the event for me," Fox said.

The exhibition includes a piece that won an award at an art show last year. It is displayed behind the sales table. 

Cards are also for sale in the gallery and in the gift shop hutch on the first floor, where earlier watercolor landscapes and floral studies are displayed alongside tote bags printed with botanical designs.

"At 76, I’ll never have this chance again," Fox said.

Love of Botanicals by Laurie Fox is on display August 13 to September 11 at the 4 Pillars Gallery at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture, 210 N Minnesota St, New Ulm. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.