Last Page: "Lost" by Lori Hill

An art educator for 35 years, Boone native Lori Hill has taught at both Watauga High School and her alma mater Appalachian State University. Retired from teaching now, she devotes much of her time to creating her own insightful, often allegorical, compositions. “My paintings are representational narratives marking memories and moments of my journey growing up and growing older in a small-town mountain culture,” Hill continues. “The images are allegories for experiences, relationships, and stereotypes—a way to materialize responses to things real and imagined.”

She says she expresses her ideas figuratively and with an affectionate nod to nature. “Certain animals and flowers almost always emerge as symbols for meaning, probably due to having spent much time hiking and exploring trails growing up in the mountains.”

In the piece Lost, Hill turns introspectively toward her own recollections, pondering the dynamics and shifting scenarios of life, she says. Delving into the complex composition of Lost, Hill layered hand-printed paper with other media, scraping back into the surface to get a weathered impression, she explains.

In September, her work will be included in an exhibition sponsored by Associated Artists of Winston Salem at Florence Thomas Art School located in West Jefferson and Lost will be included in Carlton Gallery’s “Synchronization - Shared Artistic Pathways” exhibit from October 11 to November 15. lorihill-art.com