Today I am featuring the amazing work of Laurie Shanholtzer! All images in this post are of Laurie’s work (used with permission of course). Make sure you check out her shop through this link!
I do have an artistic, if somewhat neurotic family heritage. Grandfather, Vincent Maragolotti a well known painter and muralist, Aunt Iris Guarducci, a Pulitzer Prize winner in portraits and my mother, Gina Tetzlaff, a New York dress designer and portraitist and there were others. So being surrounded by all this talent, I always felt a need to create art.
After growing up in a stressed out, but creative world, I moved from Westchester, New York to “Wild, Wonderful” WV-Went to college, got married and started my family. With a consideration of my unsettling background, I decided to have a career where I could be home with my children and they would have a settled “happy” childhood. So I started doing commissioned portraits …and continued doing them for over 45 years. Yes, long after my little ones left me alone in my nest.
As I am sure with almost anyone that does the same job every day, for so many years, you are tired! My husband and I agreed that I now can now take some time to paint what I have had little time to do in the past. This was like opening a door to a locked room.
My first love is painting little story pieces that are nostalgic or romantic. This is either from observations or recording a memory of my own daughters. The pastel “All Together Now… First Ballet Recital” is my memory of my daughter Christy. I have such a vivid picture of all the cuties on stage, each doing their own dance.
The work “Bedtime Story” is my remembrance of my little one snuggling in my lab for our nightly ritual. And, on my romantic side I have some works that show my musings and love of peaceful surroundings.
I started my Etsy shop to have a good home for my newly created works. I am having such a blast experimenting with new things and having a venue to showcase the artworks I have wanted to create.
Find out more about Laurie and her creative work (as well as how to buy the paintings you see here!) through the following links:
Great post 🙂
That is just beautiful Laurie! I had no idea this ran so deeply in your blood! your paintings are just gorgeous and so evocative of peace and calm and beauty! I have checked out that link to your shop and I LOVE your paintings! It's amazing I can get such great art at such affordable prices! Thank You for sharing your wonderful story!
Laurie is an amazing artist your can see the emotion in each one of her Wonderful works art. Please visit her shop on Etsy you will not be disapointed.
Laurie creates wonderful paintings where you feel the emotion in them. Please visit her Esty shop you will enjoy it 🙂