Lainey Beck
5/31/2023
Lainey Beck’s passion for expressing her feelings through her art career has evolved from oil paintings, to stacking upholstered chairs, to encaustic artwork. CITYVIEW recently asked Beck about her artwork.
What type of art do you do and how has it evolved?
“The type of art I do is nonobjective painting, using oil and encaustic (melted wax). Early in my career, I drew and painted realism, painting portraits and landscapes from photos of things I loved. My passion and energy gradually shifted to expressing feelings and exploring different states of consciousness. Now, decades later, this non-objective art reflects my evolving skill set in communicating an experience with viewers.”
Have you always been an artist?
“During my lifetime as an artist, I supported myself as a secondary social studies teacher, and I put myself through nursing school, but I never abandoned my passion to create.”
When were you first interested in art?
“When I was about 10, my grandma gave me a box of art supplies. This was a light bulb moment for me. I discovered I could express myself on paper at this early age, which gave me a feeling of freedom that no one could take away.”
Where do you get your inspiration?
“My inspiration comes from a feeling of wonder and curiosity of how to express a vision that comes from a deeper place than thoughts. I experience a paradoxical perfection in the beauty of life. This is reflected in creation and destruction, in cycles of seasons and the effects of light. To me, this is connected to the questions that won’t go away, like why are we here, what is love and why does the world work this way?”
Explain your most memorable artwork, called the Chair Project.
“When I lived in Oskaloosa, I put up upholstered chairs in front of art and rearranged them daily, telling people it was art. People thought it was junk and a public nuisance. I was charged with violating a city ordinance, and I went to court, but won. It was in the local news about how art can be interpreted. People had a lot of fun with it! View the video at www.laineybeckart.com.”
What’s the most challenging thing about being an artist?
“Believing in yourself and showing up for the work. I was frustrated of not living my truth when I wasn’t creating.”
Where do you have your art displayed?
“I sell out of my studio 425 at Mainframe Studios. During First Fridays, I love it when people ask me questions or tell me what they see and feel. This allows me the opportunity to go deeper in helping them connect with my art. I recently had a show at the Ankeny Art Center. It was very satisfying to have a wider audience responding to the work. Ultimately, I want people to have it in their homes or businesses where it can give them the same kind of joy I feel in its creation. I think it would be fun to have a museum retrospective when I am old.”
What’s your dream for your artwork?
“I just want to keep creating.” ♦
