Meet Lori Faye Bock’s colorful cast of creatures

Just Lookin' for Some Peace of Mind - Lori Faye Bock

Anyone who has owned a pet can attest that animals possess personalities all their own. With the raise of an eyebrow, the lift of a head, the sound of a sigh, they communicate. Sometimes it is hunger, sometimes it is annoyance, sometimes it is mischief, and sometimes it is total, unconditional love. Lori Faye Bock’s ability to convey the range of emotion of our closest animal friends, be they sleeping on the foot of your bed or grazing in a pasture, is truly remarkable.

Her imaginative depictions sketch out the distinct personalities of her subjects in bold colors and whimsical surroundings. Whether she is portraying sheep, cats, dogs, or birds, her paintings restore in even the most serous and cynical adults a sense of child-like wonder.

“In the beginning, surrounded by a menagerie of cats, dogs and sheep, whose eyes just don’t ever leave me alone — ever — there was no doubt in my mind what subject matter I was to paint,” she says. “So I painted and painted and painted … animals.”

A Room with a View

Her windowscapes series finds joy in the simplest household items. In spoons, and tables, and chairs, and household plants, she uncovers something fresh. Her paintings reveal in these common items an uncommon beauty.

“Household objects, both ordinary and extraordinary, intrigue me,” she

Long Way Home 2 - Lori Faye Bock

says. “I believe my windowscapes evolved so that I can have animals and landscapes along with those wonderful domestic inventions — all in one painting!”

Back to Basics

In her ABC series, she is also able to connect with the child’s sense of awe and wonder at the greater world, elevating simple objects to a greater purpose.

“My years as a first grade teacher have no doubt influenced my ABC series,” she says. “Besides being able to paint anything in the whole wide world as long as it begins with a letter of the alphabet, I get to write text, which accompanies my illustrations. Sometimes these words are funny. Sometimes they are serious. Sometimes they are mine and sometimes I borrow from others.”

Farm Fresh

Lori lives with her husband on a farm just outside of Abiquiu, in northern New Mexico. The creatures she finds on her land, whether they are in the household, on the farm, or in the wild, feed her imagination and provide rich fodder for her work.

“Being able to vanish into my studio, thus into my own little world, day in and day out, is truly a tremendous gift and blessing,” she says. “And the best thing about being an artist is that I get to go to work in my pajamas, with a cup of tea in hand, followed by a host of darling faces who just happen to have whiskers.”

Her latest series is titled Women’s Perspectives and explores, through imagery and words, the inner lives of women.

Stop by the gallery to see Lori’s latest work in person.

If purchasing a piece off the blog, mention that you found the piece on the blog and get a special discount!

The 3rd Annual Waxlander Gallery Art Auction is in full swing! The auction runs through next Saturday, February 4th with bidding coming to a close at 4:00 p.m. MST.

With the first two installments of the event available just to Waxlander collectors, we have opened this year’s event to all bidders to allow as many people possible the opportunity to add beautiful pieces of art to their collections. With the works set at the lowest prices of the year, it is a great chance for you to add them to your home or office at a great value.

There are close to 200 pieces up for auction this year featuring the work of many of our artists. We are very happy that this year’s participating artists includes many who have been with us for some time, such as Bruce King, Matthew Higginbotham, and Andree Hudson. We are also very pleased that some of our newest artists, including Christopher Owen Nelson and Phyllis Randall, are taking part as well!

Here is a full list of the participating artists: Lori Faye Bock, Childers-West, Jim Cohen, Paul Cunningham, Suzanne Donazetti, Michael Ethridge, Georgia Gerber, Sandy Graves, Higginbotham, Walter Horak, Hudson, Tony Jojola, King, Ana Lazovsky, Bernard Marks, Sharon Markwardt, Nelson, Marshall Noice, Sangita Phadke, Richard Pankratz, Linda Prokop, Randall, Slava TCH, Jono Tew, Chris Turri.

Additionally, we are happy to announce that special works from artist and gallery owner Phyllis Kapps’ personal collection will also be available!

A few tidbits about the bidding process: The opening bid for paintings has been set at 40% off the retail price. For sculptures, the opening bids have been marked at 25% off. If the opening bid for a piece has started at less than $1,000, then the bids increase in $50 increments. With pieces starting at $1,000 or more, the bidding increases in increments of $100. If there is a piece you absolutely must have and you do not want to take the chance of losing it to another bidder, you can purchase it at our ‘Buy It Now’ price which is set at 10% off retail.

For information on the artists and which of their pieces are available, please visit their artist page at http://www.waxlander.com/artists-santa-fe-art-gallery. Auction Items will be marked in red and will be the first images on each of the participating artists’ page.

For questions on the auction you can call the gallery at 505-984-2202 or email us at art@waxlander.com. To make a bid, the same telephone number and email address apply. The winning bidders for each piece will be notified by phone following the conclusion of the event.

Once again, we are very excited for this year’s auction. It gives us great joy to be able to offer so many great pieces and such great prices.

Happy bidding!!

“In the beginning, surrounded by a menagerie of cats, dogs & sheep, whose eyes just don’t ever leave me alone … ever – there was no doubt in my mind what subject matter I was to paint. So, I painted and painted and painted … animals.

I live in beautiful river valley encircled by majestic mountains to the north, south, east and west – so it was just a matter of time before my animal paintings had skies, land & water.
Household objects, both ordinary and extraordinary, intrigue me. I believe my windowscapes evolved so that I can have animals and landscapes along with those wonderful domestic inventions – all in one painting!

"Anytime Anyway, Anywhere" by Lori Faye Bock

My years as a first grade teacher have no doubt influenced my ABC Series. Besides being able to paint anything in the whole wide world as long as it begins with a letter of the alphabet – I get to write text, which accompanies my illustrations. Sometimes these words are funny. Sometimes they are serious. Sometimes they are mine and sometimes I borrow from others.

The ever-changing relationship between composition, color and subject matter continue to interest me. As I embrace my 50th year of life, I am questioning less and doing more. At times I find myself pushing boundaries like there is no tomorrow – like there are no rules.

"Bloom Where Your Planted" by Lori Faye Bock

People tell me I am funny. They say they feel good because I make them laugh. If I can squeeze a smile, chuckle or better yet downright roaring laughter because of the joy, beauty, wit or humor I transmit through my art, then I believe I am doing my job well. And if someone falls in love with my animal paintings and goes running to the nearest shelter to adopt a cat or dog, or both, then I think I deserve a gold star.

Being able to vanish into my studio, thus into my own little world, day in and day out, is truly a tremendous gift & blessing.
Oh, and the best thing about being an artist is that I get to go to work in my pajamas, with a cup of tea in hand, followed by a host of darling faces who just happen to have whiskers.”

"Hard-at-Play" by Lori Faye Bock

Biography

Lori Faye Bock’s paintings of animals speak to the heart and soul. She declares her affection for the animal world with wit, lively color, and jaunty poses, striking a responsive chord in the viewer who can’t fail to recognize the truth in her images.
The artist says, “Knowing animals and caring for them is one of life’s joys. Even the most ordinary-seeming animals are truly extraordinary and give us so much. My art reflects my life.” Bock and her husband live in an 18th-century adobe on a riverside farm near Abiquiu, New Mexico, where they delight in the company of some forty sheep, six dogs and six cats.

Lori Faye Bock was born in Detroit and credits supportive parents, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and a scholarship to The Center for Creative Studies College of Art & Design with her pursuit of a career in Art. She studied ceramics and went on to teach in the Watts area of Los Angeles while producing hand-painted ceramic art, often with animal imagery.

In the late eighties, Bock moved to Santa Fe and opened a studio and gallery on Gypsy Alley, an artist’s haven off historic Canyon Road. Longing for the rural life, she and her husband purchased their property in the agricultural community of Los Silvestres north of Abiquiu and proceeded to acquire their menagerie. In 1994, they founded the Abiquiu Studio Tour.

After working in clay for over twenty years, Bock began painting her images on paper, board, and canvas, continuing to portray her beloved animals. Already successful as a ceramicist, she found a ready acceptance for her paintings among collectors. Her images are known nationally and have been used by PETsMART, the ASPCA, and American Humane.

"The Sopranos" by Lori Faye Bock

Lori Faye Bock’s work has the whimsy of a Klee and the color and detail of a Matisse. Her paintings deftly capture the essence of their subjects with a dash of irony, humor and often, poignancy. Her reward comes, she says, when the joy she feels in portraying her animal subjects is communicated to those who see her paintings.

Lori Faye Bock’s positive and uplifting paintings have been shown at Waxlander Gallery for several years.  They feature sheep driving GMC trucks, birds on whimsical window sills and the dresses of important women.  Lori Faye reminds women to “Be Your Authentic Self Everyday” constantly with her artwork and in her latest painting “There’s Only One… And She’s Forever”, a 40″ x 20″ Unframed Acrylic on Baltic Birch Punnet, she honors mother’s with numerous quotes from famous authors about motherhood.

Enjoy and if you would like a larger image to read the quotes, just let me know!