For Denver-based artist Lane Anne Geurkink, nature — with its moments of calm and chaos — is a driving factor in what brings her to the canvas again and again.
Hailing from Norman, Oklahoma, the creative moved to The Mile High City over a decade ago and since that time has infused the Colorado art scene with her captivating pieces that speak to the evolution of the seasons and her own moods.
From work that calls to mind aerial views of tributaries and seas to ones that seem to mirror star-dusted galaxies, each striking piece crafted by Lane is rich with emotion, depth and varying hues.
“Art has been a lifeline to some extent,” says Lane. “When I'm going through really hard things throughout my life, it's the way that I get it out. One of my most favorite pieces I made after I was devastatingly heartbroken.”
Her work — possessing shifting shades of dye, accented with hand-stitched embroidery — brilliantly pairs two very different mediums within compelling works sure to appeal to a variety of collectors.
Art enthusiasts across the country keep Lane’s online store out of stock and she often has repeat customers enlisting her for show-stopping commissions.
“Getting a custom piece made is a really cool way to have a piece of yourself in your home,” Lane says. “I love working directly with people in that way.”
While she purchases indigo dye, she is consistently tapping into ways to fabricate her own materials, pulling from nature’s magnificent toolbox and thinking beyond big-box art store paint.
Placing handfuls of rusty nails into a water bucket and letting them soak for six weeks results in a warm, burnt-orange color that has graced many a Lane Anne Geurkink original.
From tea to coffee from her own French press, the organic materials Lane uses add greatly to her one-of-a-kind pieces rich with vibrancy and an earthy quality not always found in works of abstraction.
“I have used amaranth before and it creates this bright pink color,” Lane says. “I really want to make some ink this summer with blueberries, so that's on my bucket list.”
While Lane was exposed to art and culture in her childhood by her grandparents, it wasn’t until college that she decided to jump into the subject without having much prior experience.
“It was a gut feeling of, ‘I'm interested. I've got nothing to lose. This is top of my list of things I'd be interested in pursuing,’” says Lane, who graduated with a degree in fine art from Baylor University in Texas.
From 15-foot tapestries to smaller framed pieces, Lane’s interpretations add nuance and mystery to every wall space they grace.
From constellations to caverns, just what the viewer uncovers in her work is always up for interpretation.
She remains a fan of late expressionist painter Mark Rothko and admires the way he created a mood by using different tones.
“Rothko is really big on color and energy, and I really deeply resonate with that,” Lane says.
Depending on the size and scope, finishing a project can take Lane up to nine months. While she admits using a sewing machine would help speed up the process, she can’t seem to part with the handmade practice of embroidery.
She starts with a color palette, but the piece can evolve as the months fly by in her home studio near Denver’s Tech Center.
“It often feels like the water, the dye, is doing the work and I'm just kind of there to encourage,” Lane says.
Filling her condo while she’s creating is an eclectic mix of gospel, jazz and rap tunes. Folkstress Patty Griffin also gets some time on her playlist.
Lane stays inspired and motivated by frequent travel and exploring the work of creatives of the past and present.
“I think Italian Renaissance is great and all of that is very beautiful, but my heart sings when I see a Picasso painting or something really modern,” Lane says.
Lately, texture has been the main star in her distinguished pieces.
“I've always been a tactile person,” Lane says. “My mom said growing up I was always touching everything because I wanted to see how everything felt. I think I'm still like that where I want the art to feel like something. It would be interesting in the future to make work that people can interact with and touch.”
In high school, Lane studied under a seamstress and would often craft costumes for performances, including a local production of The Nutcracker.
“I wanted to be a fashion designer, and then I pivoted into fine art in school, but I think maybe that's where the creativity originally started,” Lane says. “I'm learning to be hopefully more vulnerable with my work when it does have a deeper meaning.”
Lane’s art can be sporadically found at Conifer, 3377 Blake St. Ste. 102 in Denver. To learn more, visit laneanne.com.
Article by Kalene McCort
Photography by Leah Michelle Photography
Originally published in Cherry Creek Lifestyle
