Today we’d like to introduce you to Lori Daugherty.
Hi Lori, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Hello, and thank you so much for providing the opportunity to tell my story.
As an only child, I always had a vivid imagination to keep myself occupied. Luckily for me my grandmother was an artist, and she lived nearby, so she taught me to hone my imagination into an art form. I met my husband (also an artist) while attending the University of Cincinnati. I started out in fashion design as I thought it was the only choice to use my abilities, but soon found out it wasn’t for me, so I thought my art path was over. After school, we married, had children and I became a stay-at-home mom, and I took on freelance artwork on the side. Once our kids left for college, I started taking art classes, experimenting in different mediums, and then began creating once again.
About 5 years ago, my husband gave me the most amazing birthday present of taking a class with one of my favorite artists, Mike Elsass. Not only was I blown away by his work and his studio, but mostly with the artist himself. Mike instantly took me under his wing, encouraged my abilities, and became my mentor and a good friend. That day totally changed my life and my career path. Four years ago, at the age of 54, I was handed the keys to my very own studio at the Front Street Buildings, right across the hall from Mike’s studio. I now had a place that I could create, experiment, explore, present, and build my new career as an encaustic artist.
As a whim, I started referring to my studio as “Darty Art”. Everyone always has a hard time with the pronunciation and spelling of Daugherty, so we just tell everyone, “It’s Darty as in Party.” Darty Art just seemed fun and fitting, as I also showcase my husband’s and daughter’s work in the space as well. Over the years, my studio has doubled in size by adding a gallery area. It tends to be a little hard to showcase your work when the clients are constantly having to maneuver around your worktables, so the new gallery section has really helped. As a result of doubling my space, I now have room to take on much larger pieces and projects. It’s been a whole new challenge learning to work large, but it has been worth the effort as there are many big walls out there in need of much larger pieces of work.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well, I just happened to open my studio a few months before the pandemic hit, so not only was I figuring out how to begin my new career path, but the world had now closed down as well. I didn’t know what to expect of anything at the time, but I knew I didn’t want to give up so soon. Uncertain of how long we would be in lockdown and how society would react to it, I brought my art supplies home for safekeeping.
Instead of fretting over the situation, I decided to take advantage of the endless quiet hours of the shutdown. During the cold months, I took classes that were geared to advance a better understanding of my medium. I joined weekly Zoom meetings that included other artists and art organizations, where we discussed how to handle the situation at hand and how to precede in the future. And when it was warm enough, I took my art supplies outside and started to experiment to see how far I could push my medium. Staying busy and focusing on my art really helped to improve my skills. And by connecting with others dealing with the same situation it helped me to focus on the future of the business and to stay optimistic. I could have easily given up on my career during the pandemic, but instead, I used it as an opportunity to become a much stronger artist.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an encaustic artist, so I paint with fire!!! Encaustic (Enkaustikos) is a 2000-year-old Greek medium with the word meaning “to burn in.” The process uses a mixture of beeswax and dammar resin (tree sap), which is melted and then fused into many layers using temperatures well over 200 degrees. This is a specialized wax, and as soon as the wax is taken away from the heat source, it starts to harden and becomes quite durable. Encaustic is also a very versatile medium, allowing one to fuse other mediums into the wax, so the options are endless. My favorite tool is my torch (fire), I use it to fuse the medium but to also develop much of the character in my work.
My work tends to be bright, abstract, and bold, and I’ve been told that my pieces illuminate joy. I’m naturally attracted to color, texture, and movement, and much of the time, my work represents a brief moment that has caught my eye and my imagination. I enjoy creating all the intricate layers of color of my imaginative visions, with the use of wax, pigment, ink, shellac, as well as many other mediums. I find that the encaustic medium provides a wealth of depth, breath, and texture, with an added twist of mystery. My intent as an artist is to bring the viewer along on an enchanted adventure.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Courage! Art is subjective, so each artist needs at least a little courage in order just to show their work. However, courage is needed on a much higher level in order to succeed in the business of art. One way to help gain and build the courage needed is to connect and network with other artists. A wonderful art community will collaborate, strategize, talk business, exchange ideas, critique (not criticize), challenge each other, share in disappointments, celebrate each other’s successes, help in building each other’s confidence, and encourage each other to take the next step. I am so grateful for being a part of an amazing art community, and I wouldn’t be where I am in my career without their support. Having courage gives me the ability to take chances on myself my art and to reach for the next level. Courage isn’t always instinctive, but with the help of others, it can certainly be found.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dartyart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dartyartdayton/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dartyartdayton/
Image Credits
Kelsey Wolford
Jon Daugherty
