Lorraine Harrison is a self-taught acrylic painter whose artistic practice emerged following a profound shift in her life. Originally from South Africa, she relocated to British Columbia, Canada, with her family in 2021, leaving behind a successful, demanding career in law and corporate governance. This transition from a structured world of logic and order to one of creativity was both unexpected and transformative.
An Unexpected Artistic Awakening
Lorraine's artistic journey began in August 2022, when she received an acrylic paint set as a gift. By October of that year, she was actively exploring painting, discovering a powerful new outlet for expression. This gradual start marked a significant turning point, guiding her away from the precision of corporate life toward the expansive realm of self-expression.
The deeply personal nature of her art intensified in 2023 with the sudden passing of her father. This profound loss had a major impact on her work — art became a vital sanctuary, a space to process grief, mourn, and find solace. This pivotal emotional experience solidified her commitment to exploring raw emotions within her paintings.
Style and Conceptual Focus
Working primarily with acrylic on canvas, Lorraine's style tends toward realistic subjects. While she is drawn to the symbolic themes of freedom and resilience often embodied by birds, which have been a recurring motif in her earlier work, she continually experiments to allow her artistic process to evolve organically.
In her current direction, Lorraine is driven by a desire to merge realism with deeper conceptual concerns. She is exploring Allegorical Realism, using animal subjects to critique contemporary social and environmental values. This new approach investigates the friction between animal instinct and human abundance, challenging viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the natural world.
Though her path to becoming an artist was unconventional, it has quickly led to significant recognition. Lorraine's work has been juried into both British Columbia wide exhibitions and a competitive, Canada-wide show.
Lorraine currently lives and works in British Columbia, Canada, where she continues to refine her technique and push the conceptual boundaries of her self-taught practice.