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In a recent interview with Carolyn Eklund of ArtsyShark magazine, I offered a glimpse into events that inspired my art, and what I am  working towards now. Here is an excerpt, for the full article click on the link below.

AS: You’ve created several series of paintings about international events, including the financial market collapse of 2009 and Brexit. What compelled you to document these events through your art?

LP:  My Wall Street Series of paintings were a visceral response to events that dominated the headlines. By exploring those and other events through the lens of a painter, I try to make sense of that moment in time to create narratives and meaning. 

By telling stories through my art, I try to express my understanding of the events and to document and record that moment in time. While my financial career involves left brain thinking, my artistic influence is very right brain feeling and intuition-oriented.

AS: What response have you received from people in the business world who have viewed your paintings?

LP: I have been told by my collectors and gallery owners that my work resonates with them on a couple of different levels. First and foremost, they say that the pieces speak to them. They love art and value the enrichment that art brings into their lives. On another level, they identify with the themes. The financial world is highly quantitative. People have enthusiastically responded to the qualitative aspects of my art as they love the colors and energy in my work. My abstract landscapes on the other hand they say, evoke a feeling of peace and serenity.

AS: Your latest body of work was created during the COVID pandemic. How does this current work contrast with the previous series?

LP: My paintings created during the pandemic were different because they were captured during a moment in time when there was considerable fear and uncertainty. The process of creating art and viewing art allows us to process and connect to a universal experience. When I retreat into my studio, I immerse myself in a very intuitive way. The act of turning inward to quiet my mind and reflect on the pulse of the external world is very nourishing and inspiring. Painting provides a feeling of calm and serenity during a time of chaos in the outside world.

Making art is a soulful process and brings me joy. Through sharing my art, I am grateful to tell my story. For every person who is inspired by my work, it brings me great joy. From ancient times, music art and other creative endeavors have been a powerful way to create community and to celebrate and heal. This is why it’s such a powerful medium for connecting us with each other. I feel that art can be healing and can help to process emotions. Art forges the mind body connection. I wanted to use my multicultural artistic expression to spark connection, reflection, and dialogue around pressing issues of our day.

AS: Give us a preview into future work. What is inspiring you now?

LP: Going forward I will continue to create work that I find inspiring and that is in keeping with my passion and that feeds my soul. The inspiration for the pieces I am working on now come from the beauty of nature, the events taking place around the world and other artists I have the privilege of knowing. Since art is an experience, I hope to inspire and empower others through my work to develop personal connections to art and in so doing, strive to make the world a better place.

I also believe that since art came to me later in life, there is a reason for being given this gift, and this motivates me to not keep it to myself but to share it and to continue to give back through my art. Over the years I have donated paintings to charities and fundraisers for causes that I believe in.