This month we’re featuring Lori Niland Rounds for the Capitol Hill Art League’s Mind of the Artist feature. Read their story and check out their beautiful artwork below. Follow Lori Niland Rounds on Instagram at @LoriNilandRounds and find them at www.LoriNilandRounds.art.

I am a native Washingtonian who enjoys creating abstract paintings of the natural world around us. Inspiration for my work comes from my travels to all seven continents. Being in nature provides a sense of comfort to me. I like to observe the patterns, shadows and colors in nature, then abstract these patterns to convey the underlying essence of the geology, geography and weather patterns of the world.

I enjoy painting and printmaking with hot pigmented beeswax, also known as encaustic paint. The unpredictable and fluid manner of the molten wax closely mimics the behavior of natural elements and allows me to create unique abstracted interpretations of nature. Viewers describe my artwork as atmospheric and serene.

My work was featured in MOMA’s 2018 digital online learners show, the CBS Sunday Morning Show Sun Series, as well as in juried shows throughout the mid-Atlantic region. I have studied encaustic printmaking and painting in Santa Fe, New Mexico under the renowned encaustic artist, Paula Roland, including an artist residency under Roland in 2019. I completed a week-long experimental printmaking class in 2019 at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Balleycastle, Ireland, under Chicago-based artist Jeffrey Hirst. I have also taken several online art workshops in 2020 with Jeffrey Hirst and Lisa Pressman, including a master painting workshop, experimental drawing and advanced encaustic painting.

My work is currently represented by District Arts, a contemporary art gallery in downtown historic Frederick, Maryland. I am a member of several professional art organizations, including the Capital Hill Art League.

I hold a B.A. in art history, a B.S. in computer science, and an M.A. in information technology. I retired from a successful career in IT in 2019, and have returned to my lifelong passion of creating art on a full-time basis.

For more info info:
www.LoriNilandRounds.art
IG: @LoriNilandRounds