A retired professor, Loretta Kasper works from her home studio in Staten Island, New York City. After starting her artistic development painting in acrylics, and then moving on to test her skills with various other materials, she now concentrates on mixed mediums.

“The person who has most influenced my present style, and in fact, who gave me the tools I needed to develop my own style, was Lisa Cyr. I took an online workshop in mixed media with her last summer.”

Prior to Cyr’s influence, Loretta predominantly painted animals, wild and domestic. Now, with a greater appreciation for texture she concentrates on capturing color and tapping her emotions for inspiration.

“I love color. Bright colors excite and inspire me. I love texture, so I use a lot of different mediums and techniques to achieve it. Even when using photo references, I never copy. I always paint my own personal interpretation of the subject, be it abstract or representational. The photos are a springboard to inspire my emotions about the subject. My imagination goes from there.

Like many artists, Loretta uses music to inspire her work, to bring her into a calming space. Enthused by her mentor, Lisa Cyr and the classical works of Vermeer, she embraces the joy of creating and encourages other artists to do the same.

“Have fun with the process. PLAY! If you are stressing about your art, you will stifle your creativity. Paint what YOU enjoy painting. PLEASE!”

Check out Loretta’s work for sale on artFido HERE.