Ambassador

Lori McNee

Lori McNee is an artist based in Sun Valley, USA. She creates realistic oil paintings featuring topics including landscapes, still life and plein air studies.

“Often metaphorical, my paintings echo the delicate balance between nature and man. Although my broad spectrum of work includes still life, nature, landscape and plein air oil paintings, my subject is light!”

About Lori McNee

Lori McNee lives in the beautiful Northern Rocky Mountains of Sun Valley, Idaho where she derives much of her inspiration. A native of California and reared in the southwest, Lori cultivated an interest in art and nature during her childhood.

Lori began an art career as a wildlife artist in the 1980s-90s. In 2000, Lori discovered plein air and still life painting and began using water-mixable oil paint. Today Lori’s broad spectrum of artworks include poetic studio landscapes, plein air studies, still life and encaustic wax paintings in which she most often incorporates birds or other wildlife.

Lori is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America and the Heartland Art Club and is a certified Master Artist in Cobra water-mixable oil paint. Lori is also an internationally followed art blogger and social media influencer, author, brand ambassador, and keynote speaker. She shares her online success secrets with artists, businesses, and organizations around the country. When not in her studio, Lori enjoys teaching art workshops around the world or trekking mountains with her dogs.

Empowering creativity

Although Lori appreciates and learns from many genres of painting, traditional art has always been her primary influence. She loves the history and the traditions which are learned from person to person, passed from one generation to the next. Like the old masters, she is inspired by the natural world around her.

“During my childhood in Arizona and California, I was mesmerized by all the beautiful songbirds. I would spend many hours trying to catch the colourful birds that flocked to our yard. Out of frustration, I finally decided to capture the birds on paper with a pencil. I fell in love with art and have been drawing and painting ever since!”

Lori describes her art as often metaphorical, as her paintings echo the delicate balance between nature and man. Her broad spectrum of work includes still life, nature, landscape and plein air oil paintings. “While plein air painting out in the field, Mother Nature is in charge. However, in the studio I can create my own small universe. Whether it is a landscape or still life painting, I respond to the effects of colour, light and atmosphere on the subject. Paintings are windows to the imagination. In a world full of chaos, I strive to create a respite for the soul.”