The often asked question of Laurie Bender's award-winning paintings is "What medium are these?" The correct answer is, of course, "watercolor." Ms. Bender's works defy the traditional impression of watercolors as pale, hesitant and washed-out. She paints vibrant landscapes-capturing not so much what places look like, but what they feel like-with bold, decisive strokes and luminous saturated color. Her widely-collected original watercolors and limited edition giclée prints capture the beauty and wonder of the landscapes she visits, from the Southwest desert to New England's autumn vistas.

As an undergraduate and graduate student in fine arts at UCLA, Ms. Bender was exposed to training in a variety of mediums. Her love of watercolor began a decade ago when she began "plein air" painting in the Santa Monica mountains. Since that time, she has journeyed far afield, both artistically and geographically. Today, her works are found in a myriad of international public and private collections.

HONORS AND AWARDS

Artist of the Year, Art on the Square, Southlake, TX 2003
Poster Artist, La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, CA 2003
First Place Watercolor, Artfest of Scottsdale, 2002
First Place Fine Arts, Castle Rock Artfest, 2002
Featured Artist, Main Street Arts Festival, Durango, CO 2002
First Place, Bayou City Art Festival, Houston, TX 2002
First Place Watercolor, Artfest of Scottsdale, 2001
Featured Artist, Scottsdale Arts Festival, 2001
Poster Artist, Art on the Rocks, Marquette, MI 2001
Poster Artist, Castle Rock Artfest, 2001
Second Place Fine Arts, Castle Rock Artfest, 2000
Poster Artist, Tempe Spring Festival of Arts, 2000
Poster Artist, Tempe Fall Festival of Arts, 1999
First Place, Castle Rock Artfest, 1999
First Place, Evergreen Arts Festival, 1999
Cover Artist, The Country Register, Oct/Nov 1998
Second Place, Southwest Festival, Indio, CA 1998
Purchase Award, Southwest Art Festival, 1997
Jurors' Choice Award, Fairhope Arts Festival, Fairhope, AL 1997
Director's Choice Award, Southwest Festival, Albuquerque, NM 1995
Second Prize Award of Merit, Santa Barbara Artwalk, 1995
Finalist, Dream Studio Competition, The Artist's Magazine, 1995
Third Place, Affaire in the Gardens, Beverly Hills, CA, Fall 1994
Poster Artist, La Jolla Festival of the Arts, 1993
Third Place, Affaire in the Gardens, Beverly Hills, CA, Spring 1993
Second Place, Southwest Arts Festival, Indio, CA 1993
Hon. Mention, Affaire in the Gardens, Beverly Hills, CA, Fall 1992
Fellowship Residency, VA Ctr. for the Creative Arts, SweetBriar, VA 1992
Rotary Club of Studio City Festival of the Arts, Spring 1992
UCLA Art Council Merit Scholarship recipient, 1972 - 1974

Laurie Bender - For the Home
3320 Longridge Avenue Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
[818] 788-3061 n Fax [818] 784-ARTS n e-mail
BRITECOLOR@aol.com
www.lauriebender.com