Lana Cease - Ode Graders

Watercolor painting by Lana Cease of Maryville, MO.

Artist Statement: My art helps transport me back to my youth in rural Iowa in the 1970’s. I was then, and still am, intrigued by small, quirky details both in everyday objects and human beings alike. I believe that you can find beauty in almost any object or person when looked at in the proper perspective and in a new light. I want to show the viewer how to observe something they see every single day in a unique and unexpected way.

Painting in a realistic realm I find to be meditative and soothing work. To me, realism is much like math, in that both brings me a calm knowing that there’s only one true answer of what the outcome should look like. I am drawn towards the brightness of light but also the shadows that it casts, as I find both are required to create a balance in a piece of art. I find myself occasionally leaning towards darker art, which I feel balances my view of the world as a reminder that not everything is perfect.