Harriett Lahana

Color, line and imagery are hallmarks of my work. Painting is an internal dialogue.Everything I wish to paint is already inside me as I begin to paint. Art moves me into a space where I can concentrate on one fragment at a time without external distraction. I then combine these fragments into varying designs and compositions. My work is completely intuitive. In my quest for self expression I have found mixed media to be the most personal means of communication.

I am a Canadian artist born in Montreal, Quebec on October 1, 1945. I have been an artist all my life and come from a family of great talent in music, dance and fine art. Art has always been an outlet for my emotions. It has acted as therapy as well as a catalyst for personal growth. Some of my most productive periods have been when I was in touch with primitive life. I spent 2 years in rural Jamaica as a peace corps volunteer and was greatly influenced by the island\\\\'s natural fauna and flora. That experience was both formative and sensitizing and served as a nucleus for my involvement in art. I can say that my art has included many phases of the art spectrum ranging from oriental to abstract art forms. The oriental influence can be seen in any of my paintings as mystic symbols. It seems that my art evolves as an integral part of my unconscious being. I use mixed media as a natural expression of my interest in various art forms. I earned a Masters degree in California and have taught for over 20 years.