I work in woodstain on paper, plus ink, oil, and casein out of the studio in Troutdale. I have often been asked about my working methods, and whether these paintings and drawings are what the inside of my brain looks like. It's always hard to tell from the inside of your own brain, but I think that it's pretty normal in here. I follow my hand. I lay down the first stroke and then follow where it leads. And along the way, I begin to find images, and the words that are the story of the piece start brewing in the background.

I also get a lot of "what do you mean by woodstain" questions. Perfectly understandable, as it's a medium I stumbled into, and immediately fell in love with the palette and it's mind of its own. And the smell. Love the smell. Which will probably bite me in the tail someday, but for now... Woodstain is simply that - the stain used on wood. I use it on mushed up and flattened wood. And, at least at this three year point, the colors hold true and strong on paper.

I love the other-mindedness of painting and drawing. Where writing requires me to start on the inside and work out, painting pulls me in from the outside.

I hope you enjoy my work. I appreciate you being here.

Best days, Loree