“I use my unique visual vocabulary of color, shape, line and mark to interpret the places my passions take me. Through my paintings, I strive to pass along the spirit of this joy and free expression.”

Radiating a lively energy so very much like the artist herself, Lance Whitner's paintings joyfully honor the natural world around her. Lance begins a painting with a charcoal sketch,

laying out a loose composition. She then adds layers of color in acrylic and continues working in an intuitive process. The patterns and colors in Lance's work are captivating. Playful shifts in perspective pull the eye from one area to the next, and seemingly simple images reveal layers of underpainting, patterns and marks that draw the viewer in for a closer look. Her pieces have palpable energy and when hanging in a room serve almost as a window peering out onto the great outdoors. Being a mountain bike rider, skier, hiker and yogi, Lance pulls inspiration viscerally from her time spent in nature that is then spilled effortlessly onto her canvases, watercolor paper and sketchbooks.

Born and raised in North Carolina, Lance traveled west to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Drawn to the down-to-earth, outdoorsy

lifestyle that Boulder has to offer, Lance fell in love with the rugged Colorado Rocky Mountains instantly. As an artist, the seasons provided endless inspiration: the golden Aspens in the fall, the cool, snow covered mountains in winter, the spectacular Alpine wildflowers in the spring, and the picturesque, wide-open landscapes ever present in the summer. A nature-loving artist's

dream. Surprisingly Lance actually studied ceramics in college, and only ventured into the world of painting after leaving school and exploring her creative place in the world. The result of being basically a self-taught painter is that Lance was forced to rely on her own vision and thus established her own unique style, which is so evident in Lance's free spirited work.

She now lives with her photographer husband, 3 animated kids, a dog named Betty, a cat named Cowboy and a horse named Ashe in beautiful Steamboat Springs, Colorado. There she spends hours painting, sketching and drawing in her whimsical, purple art studio embellished with colorful Tibetan Prayer flags and surrounded by bright, playful flowers

three seasons of the year. But don't get any ideas that winter is a season of rest for Lance. She's out there painting while the snow quietly falls outside. Lance captures the play of color and light reminicent of the season with such boundless joy and delight. We hope her works speaks to you in the same

uplifting and captivating way that it speaks to us.