< Born in Mississauga (1968), My childhood was spent on the idyllic environs of Sheridan College School of Crafts and Design, surrounded by artists and craftsmen. This nurturing context allowed me very early, to develop my passion for art as a means of both release and communication. After high school (1986) I moved to Barrie to go to Georgian College for their Creative Art course. I found Barrie too small, lacking in the cultural arts, after I obtained my diploma (1988) I moved to Toronto. I found Toronto totally overwhelming, the natural choice was, Hamilton (1989). After completing my Honours Degree in Fine Art and Theatre at McMaster University (1994) I moved back to Toronto to attend Ryerson (1995) to round out my practical theatre education. I am continuing my career as an artist and am working in the theatre field as a scenic artist, carpenter and designer.

I am influenced greatly by the paintings of Paul Klee, Egon Schiele, Matisse, Franz Marc, Giacomo Balla, Oskar Kokoschka, Robert Motherwell, Hans Hoffman, Jack Bush, Harold Town, Franz Kline, and Mark Rothko.

Lauren McKinley Renzetti the person does not consist only of education, cities, dates and influences.However I am probably more interested in the immediate world around me. I am drawn to the stained glass windows in churches, and how the light can change the mood in a room. I am very interested in where I come from as an artist, the religion of art, those stepping stones that were made by others before me. I am also interested in the human form as a landscape. I have pursued my career as an artist for nearly ten years. I strive to make my work reflect the influences of the expressionists and colour field painters; through my views of the world as an artist using light, colour luminosity and paint as my vehicle. Painting is a form of release and expression. I paint to create. I enjoy the colour combinations, the texture and the nature of the surfaces using, brush, sponge and hand as my vehicles for paint application.

Lauren McKinley Renzetti August 1996

Lauren McKinley Renzetti 15 Leeds Street Toronto, Ontario M6G 1N9 Phone/Fax 416-538-7320 email laurenr @ web.apc.org