Laurie Finklestein - laurie@lauriebethart.com

I felt a connection with art at an early age. By Jr. High, I was spending spare time drawing and hanging out at the LA County Museum of Art after school or on weekends - roller skating there and spending the afternoon. Pen and ink was my medium of choice in my early teens. Stretching my artistic wings, I took my first oil painting class when I was 14. In high school I started taking figure drawing classes at The Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. Then, the USC Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts became my summer experience two years in a row. I entered college as an art major at Cal State University at Long Beach ready to affirm my place in the art world. I lasted 3 years out of a 5 year program. I was lost between commercial and fine art and didn’t seem to fit in either group. I did fit into the party group, but that is another story. Through the years I continued to take classes here and there and would go on painting binges, and then I would turn my back on my art for another “dry spell”. Today I have been enthusiastically developing a commitment to painting and have enjoyed discovering my passion for landscapes, occasionally pursuing plein air, and delving into my polar opposite mixed media abstracts in bright colors. All of my art is inspired by nature and my wish is that it can transport viewers to a place of calm and/or inspiration. To see more of my art please visit www.lauriebethart.com "Boulder and Boulder" 11" x 14" Acrylic "Star" 16" x 24" Acrylic "Whitney Canyon" 8" x 8" Acrylic   "Whirlwind" 8" x 10" Mixed Media