Lara Dann

Artist Bio

"I am a self-taught artist. When most kids were glued to the television and the latest cartoons, I was

drawing. I wanted nothing else, except to be outside. To explore nature. From the life of an ant to the vast

and endless sea. I would have slept on the Santa Monica pier, if allowed.

My formative years were in California with my single mom. It was both difficult and exciting. Looking back,

there are so many stories of the challenges we would face together, that I can't put it all in one bio. I

honestly feel as though I have already experienced three lives. I tallied it up one day, and I think I went to

sixteen different schools from K-12.

Fast forward to the third phase of my life- I took design courses for a year at a privately owned art school

in Rochester New York, after graduating high school in 89-90. I immediately landed my first job as a

designer after a year of courses, and I spent the first six years in a competitive environment of design

business. I had a strong personal desire to lead a life with more meaning and purpose so I decided to

take a bold leap and a different direction into a career as a licensed massage therapist. I am pleased with

the decision, as it enriched my life and also my knowledge of the human anatomy. I spent eight years as

a deep tissue therapist with a focus in acute and chronic care and a very successful practice. Within that

time, my husband and I had two wonderful children. I decided to stay home and raise our children,

working as a therapist part-time on a casual basis. We relocated a couple of times and in the process, I

redirected my attention to the fine arts. My first love. I have been honing in on my skills and personal

discipline as an artist for the last three years. Developing my vision as an artist through my work is

continuous and has been a process of both personal development and achievement.

It feels like the beginning of a fourth life. "

Lara Dann