Interview with Lori Tuly Naudlin: Local Artist, Muralist
Lori Truly is a well-known local artist and muralist who has lived and studied internationally and now calls Lake Chapala her home. Unlike many of the ex-pats who move here for retirement, Lori and her husband and family moved here at a much earlier stage of life, in part for the educational opportunities for their children and also for the Mexican lifestyle that is so conducive for a creative life.
You work in several mediums including murals. Tell us about the range of your work.
I was classically trained and learned to work in watercolor, gouache, pastels, acrylic, oils and more. When you play with so many of these different media, one is sure to connect with you more than the rest. I fell in love with acrylic because it suits my personality. I can manipulate it like an oil paint or watercolor, it dries fast so it allows the impatient part of me to remain happy. I can buy it in 5 gallon buckets at the house paint store, which makes the large scale paintings/murals possible.
Your artwork seems to reflect places you have traveled. Where have you gone and what has influenced your imagery?
It is inevitable that my work reflects the many places I travel. As an artist I think that my eyes are like little cameras that take snapshots of everything I see. So when I return home from places like Bali, Greece, Spain, France, England, Hawaii, Italy, and Canada, parts of my journeys naturally come out in my creations.
We heard that you were studying mural painting abroad. We would love to hear more about that.
I have studied abroad many times. There is something about studying art where the greats were inspired that also inspires us. When I was young, I went to Italy to study 15th, 16th, and 17th century art, and in London I studied 18th 19th and 20th century art. There was a little studying of the architecture of the interior of pubs going on as well at that time. Most recently, I went to Vienna, Austria to study the alchemy of art at the Vienna Academy for Visionary Arts. It was on this trip that my artwork began to shift. Up until this point, I had been painting and sculpting murals for theaters, museums, schools, libraries, and homes, but now I find myself hanging out in my studio, incorporating my love of yoga and spirituality into my painting. It is hard to explain, but my art now is tied more to my own personal journey than to simply making art.
Tell us about what projects you are currently working on.
Currently I am finishing a project for the ever-so-patient clients of the International Institute. It is an 8’ chandelier that takes the shape of a book which has letters from around the world falling down in a cloud that is raining glass droplets. These are the jobs that I love the most. I never want them to end … and this one has transformed many times. But in a way, that is exactly what is happening with me. As my art evolves, hopefully I do too.
What brought you to Lake Chapala; we’d love to hear your story.
My husband David Truly brought me here in 1997 when he was writing his dissertation about retirement migration. But it wasn’t until 2006 when we returned for his one year sabbatical and decided to stay. One of the reasons was to give our 2 small children a bilingual and bicultural education. I became a certified yoga instructor, joined the Ajijic Society of the Arts (ASA), and dove into my painting. My house was always clean thanks to my maid, and I was off to a new start. So here I am, creating, teaching yoga and art, traveling and enjoying my clean house!
What else would you like our readers to know about you?
I am currently teaching in my beautiful lakefront studio in Ajijic, behind La Bodega. I offer Cocktails and Canvases where I walk novice painters (and pros) through a painting. We drink, play music, laugh and create a cool painting, while watching the sun go down. I hope to pass my experience along to other artists. At some point, you hope you get past the “pretty picture” phase and give people something to think about. This summer I hope to offer a kids art and yoga camp and am looking for other teachers to join me. Next school year we will have an integrated art/yoga program with classes for all ages including include painting, textiles, mosaics, clay, and drawing.
Would you like to be invited to our ‘meet and greets’ when we have new artists in on the program?
I would love to attend any of your meet and greets and be included on the calendar and in your residency handbook. Thank you for this opportunity to share my passions with you, I am honored. Cheers! Lori
Your facebook page? website? links to other information about you and your work?
For more information about me and my classes, you can visit my website, www.trulyartandsol.com or on Facebook at Art and Sol, by Lori Truly.