About Lura

Lura's work is in collections throughout the United States, England, France, Germany, Spain, and Japan. She has won numerous awards in juried shows across the country including the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, the E.B. Crocker Gallery in Sacramento, the Haggin Gallery of Stockton, the California State Fair, and the De Young Museum in San Francisco with the prestigious First Prize in watercolor in 1968. At that time she received the signature award of The Society of Western Artists. Recently her painting "Wine Country" was included in the California State Fair Professional Art division.

Lura studied art at Stanford University and the University of the Pacific with degrees: BA in 1952 and MA in 1974. In 1970 she won the Award of Excellence with a lecture and demonstration at the Haggin Galleries and Museum of Stockton, CA. The award was from the University of the Pacific to the outstanding alumnus for performance in the field of art, for her painting for which she continues to win awards, as well as for her outstanding teaching of Transparent Watercolor.

In July 1990 Lura and her husband, Jack, returned from a six year sailing adventure, a circumnavigation of our world aboard their sailing vessel the Tamarac II, to live and paint again in the High Sierra Mountains and Foothills of California. For several years in the early 2000’s Lura conducted watercolor workshops for painters in the south of France near Carcasonne, areas of small villages and hilly winding roads where the light is perfect, where the inpressionists would be painting if they were alive today.

"I paint intuitively, an impressionist using patches of transparent color, as sunshine and shadow, and as texture to achieve feeling and movement. In a painting, whether it be a landscape, floral or abstract work there must be more than what a camera records. I believe a painting must evoke the feelings of the artist. To be art the viewer must be moved. To satisfy me my work has to have a soul, it has to be exciting, much more than just a record of what's out there... my work has to sing. I paint on Arches 300lb paper using either Daniel Smith or Winsor & Newton watercolor paint, especially the beautiful quinacridone colors."

Galleries and Organizations

Lura's work can be seen at Beaux Chevaux Wine Shop (previously known as The Main Street Gallery) in Murphys, at shows of the Arts of Bear Valley in Bear Valley and Arnold as well as in the Calaveras Big Trees State Park, at shows of the Calaveras County Arts Council, and at her studio in Murphys. She is a member and shows with these organizations as well as the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, the Central California Art Association and Mistlin Gallery, and the Stockton Art League.

Community Service Donations

Annual donatons of paintings to:

1. The Bear Valley Music Festival Annual Live Aucions beginning in 1983, helping to support the festival.
2. The Annual Angel Auction benefittiing Mark Twain St. Joseph’s Hospital and the Calaveras County Arts Council, years 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.
3. The KVIE live auction benefitting PBS public radio, 2004.
4. Soroptomist International Festival of Trees, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Giclee Fine Art Prints Gallery

Most of Lura's paintings are available as Giclee Fine Art Prints. This is the state of the art process whereby the artist works closely with the printmaker making color adjustments until a final image is approved and ready to print. Editions, sizes and number of each print, are determined by the artist and can be printed on an as needed basis. Prints are signed and numbered in limited editions. Each print comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by the printmaker and the artist.

Giclee fine art prints are truly special reproducions of art by the spray method used to record and print the fiinished work. The word giclee, pronounced with a soft "g"= giclee, comes from the French verb "gicler-to spray," first used in 1991 to describe this new printing technique.

The use of archival inks and acid-free watercolor paper prevents visible fading for up to 150 years. The prints are then coated with a UV spray for protection. However, all artwork should be protected from direct sunlight.