Corrie LaVelle has been passionate about art, design, and style for the span of her life. The proof is in the numerous stories her parents will tell any willing ear about her elementary years. Her youth was marked by her flair for theatrics, inedible creative food concoctions in the kitchen, quirky sense of style, cutting her own hair, and painting the walls in her room. Although by definition she is a self-taught artist, Corrie feels she has spent her life journey preparing her for the world of fine art.

In 2013 Corrie experienced a personal tragedy. A dear friend who was also an award winning artist encouraged her to start painting and exploring multi-medium art as soul therapy, to encourage her to reclaim her unorthodox sense of art. What began as a basement hobby quickly evolved into a shared studio and gallery with three other local artists.

Currently Corrie is working with encaustic paint. She identifies with the wax as an expression of who she is – fluid, constantly changing, temporary, pliable. Corrie states, “When I’m creating a piece the exterior of my life blurs and my soul moves into focus. I see myself in every piece. At the beginning of a project I see nothing. Stroke by stroke bits of my life appear. Emotions, experiences, thoughts. One by one they compile onto the board, until a story emerges. And when heat is applied to the wax the edges blur, layers are revealed, and I am reminded how beautifully complex life is.”

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