First Colony Engraving
Lee Moretz is a lifelong native of Southeastern Virginia who relocated to the southern Adirondacks of NY in 2017. She has been painting and creating art since she was a young child and had her first exhibit in 1976, with her artist mother, in a local mother/daughter art show. She was raised working in an art gallery owned by her family and displayed and sold numerous works of her own art. She has received several awards in local shows and has been featured in several news articles. Lee prefers using mixed media and typically paints in acrylic and watercolor. She enjoys creating and painting abstract acrylic mandalas and realistic watercolor paintings. While in Smithfield, VA she created, owned, and managed her own business which specialized in engraving, etching, and graphic art and design. She holds two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree and was a teacher of English, journalism and drama before retiring. Lee is happy to be living in upstate NY where she is surrounded by nature and beautiful subjects for inspiration and painting.
Lee paints in various mediums and styles, including watercolor, acrylic, and pen and ink. Her works include realism, abstract, optical illusions, geometric shapes, and calligraphy. Her current style is pointillism, in which she has incorporated the use of dots of different sizes to make up her paintings. This process takes many hours and weeks of detailed concentration and completion. Each dot is carefully put down one at a time, resulting in a unique, one-of-a-kind painting made up of various patterns, designs, colors, and motifs. Most often, she paints on circular birch wood. This shape forms a symmetrical kaleidoscope effect and is often referred to as a mandala. The word "mandala" is derived from the Sanskrit word for "circle." It refers to a symbolic representation of the interconnectedness of all things, often depicted as a concentric diagram containing spiritual and philosophical themes. The mandala represents the wholeness of life and the interconnectedness of all living beings, serving as a powerful tool for meditation, self discovery, and personal growth. In creating her mandalas, Lee's inspiration comes from nature and its fractal patterns, the seasons, geometric shapes, and her travels to various places, such as the vineyards in upstate New York, coastal beaches, lakes, and mountains. These elements serve as reminders of her journey and the diverse beauty she has encountered along the way. The seasons also play a significant role in shaping her mandala's composition. Through her intricate details, you may notice symbols representing spring's blossoming flowers, summer's vibrant foliage, autumn's falling leaves, or winter's frosty patterns. The changing seasons are a reflection of nature's cyclical rhythm and represent the ebb and flow of life itself. Lee frequently participates in art shows, works on commissions, and customizes many of her works to make that unique, one-of-a-kind piece of artwork. Many people have purchased her work for their homes and businesses. You can check out some of her work on firstcolonyengraving.com and her Facebook page at firstcolonyengraving
http://www.firstcolonyengraving.com/
lee@firstcolonyengraving.com