The Blanket a Painting by Lori Stanley
The Blanket by Lori Stanley
This is another one of Lori’s paintings that I just love. It shows a being at rest with the peacefulness of being magically protected by her special blanket. When we set down and think about our lives, it seems that we all have that one special blanket so to speak that we always imagine hovering over us as a protective amulet that will allow us the peace of mind to be able to just lay down and have a good rest. If we think about the concept in our own lives we all have our own magic blankets so to speak. Think about it and be honest you have one also. It may not even be a blanket, but it will be the item that makes you most happy and allows you the comfort to just relax. I feel this painting as with so many of Lori’s painting is a depiction of her deep desire to find inner peace. Inner peace. Such an elusive thing. How many of us will ever find it.
Why I Started This Post
For those who may be wondering how this blog has come to be, I will start from the very beginning. I was in the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Castle A.F.B in Atwater California in 1986. I took a few art-related classes at The University of California at Merced. The faculty at the college introduced me to the Arbor Gallery on Main Street in Merced. I became a member and began exhibiting there when I met Lori, who was also exhibiting.
Lori had a showing at the gallery one of her paintings. The moment I saw it, it spoke to me like few other modern pieces have ever spoken to me. I do not remember how much she wanted for it, but it was not a low price, but the time I didn’t have the money to purchase.
The piece stayed in my mind for quite awhile and finally I had the money to buy it, but by then it was no longer at the gallery. I contacted Lori and she said I could have it for a bit less than I was expecting. She brought it over to my place and we talked over tea for a very long time.
For me it was such a personal piece, I hung it in my bedroom so I could gaze upon it. The painting was just the most beautiful thing hanging in my sunny bedroom surrounded by my Greek and Turkish antiques. It fit in somehow in an almost magical way. It hung there for a few years and then I had orders to go to Panama. I had it packed up and put into storage with all my other stuff. it stayed in storage until around 2006. In 2006 I moved to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. I found it among the things that I had in storage and was so pleased to see it once more. This painting is the one that I have shown in my previous post on this blog, that I call Peaceful Sleep.
- Peaceful Sleep by Lori Stanley
I moved into a new home in March of 2012 and decided to hang it in my living room. I was laying on my sofa late one evening and was looking at Lori’s painting. I thought to myself, that I would just love to be able to have Lori see where my artistic work had gone and see where here work was at this point. I suddenly realized that I could go online and look her up. I did a Google search and found a site where people were discussing Lori and her work. I was shocked to discover that she had passed from this world in March of 1996. I have to say that many of the statements on that particular site and others that I have seen online, just did not have a good feel to them and many of them just were not supported by facts. Much of what I read online was no more than gossip and rumor. I have found no definitive biography of Lori Stanley online.
I was devastated to learn of her passing. I became very depressed about her passing and just could not get it out of my mind. There were so many questions that I could not find answers to and I just could not let go of the idea of finding out more. I did a post on my Pottery Blog about Lori
and asked for anyone to help me with these questions. I shortly afterward was contacted by one of Lori’s cousins, who told me that Lori had indeed passed from this world. Lori’s cousin and I started a dialogue that is still going on to this day. There were so many things about Lori. She was full of Light and love and joy. She was the type of person who loved to dance barefoot in the warm California rain, swriling round and round like a young child beaming with laughter and happiness.
I am still learning so much about Lori and her short but very productive life.
If you have any images art information or stories about Lori Stanley that you would like to share on this blog please feel free to contact me.
Lori Stanley Blanket Painting
Peaceful Sleep
Lori Stanley Painting “Peaceful Sleep”
I will start this blog by saying that I sure do hope that Lori Stanley is having a peaceful sleep. The first thing that I must tell anyone that touches upon the shores of this remote blog located at the near ends of the blogosphere, is that this blog is a devotional page to an artist who will never paint another Magical painting nor ever see another spectacular blue pink California sun rise or sunset. Lori left this world in March of 1996.
Lori Stanley was born Lorraine Gay Stanley and was an artist that was active in the central California area during the 1980’s-90’s. Loris was simply stated a very complex woman. I shall not presume to have any great insights into the inner mechanisms of Lori. For that Fact I will admit that I was just a passing friend in her life. I knew her when I was stationed at Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California, way back in 1986. We talked and had a few cups of tea/Coffee and shared our artistic views. I loved her art. There was just always something in so much of her art that I seemed to empathize with. I loved the big boldness of her images and the striking color choices that just thrust themselves upon the viewer! This first painting that I am displaying is sadly the only one of her works that I have. I have called it various things over the years. As far as I know she had no name for this one. I originally referred to it as Woman with Sleeping Dogs, and now I have started thinking of it as Peaceful Sleep. I am not just saying this because I have this painting, but because I believe it to be true. This was one if not the best piece that she ever did. Do not misunderstand. I have not seen every piece of art that she did, but I did see a fair number of them in the 1980’s. They were all great! But this one will always be the best to me.
I need to state here in this first post that this site will be solely for the viewing, sharing, and discussion of Lori Stanly’s art. This site will not be for buying, selling, appraisals or authenticating of any art or related items.
I would like this blog to showcase the art and life of Lori Stanley. If one has anything that they would like to contribute to this blog please contact me and I will get back to you as soon as possible. This blog is looking for images of Lori’s art, meaningful information and such. If you were one of Lori’s many friends I would love to hear from you.
Yours Hopefully,
Michael W. Moses
Lori Stanley Art 