She Paints In Sunlight

Laura Patrick, artist and owner of Lello Co. in Tallahassee, is standing over the dining table of her screened-in porch as the birds are chirping and her children are inside enjoying a day off from school. Laura, 46, is prepping for a painting session and covering the table with thick brown paper as she says, “This light is bright and beautiful today.” 

Laura, with the help of her husband of 16 years, Will Patrick, can paint for almost eight hours a day while raising Wyatt (14), Chloe (12), Henry (9), and wrangling a Boston Terrier puppy, Ralph. She met Will at Florida State University as a fine art major, which she turned into a 10-year graphic design stint in New York City. Will also squeezed the Big Apple, pursuing modeling and acting before pivoting to journalism and politics. They moved into their hilltop Tallahassee home in 2012. The charming two-story brick house is even complete with an iron Louisiana-style balcony. Five years later, Laura started Lello Co. to pursue fine art full time. 

Here, Laura paints a picture of her current clientele and projects and how she balances business with family life.

Photo by Diana Kane Photography

TM: How do you get into the creative zone while painting at home?

LP: I paint with acrylics or watercolors in the kitchen, dining room, or back porch. I love a quiet house after getting the kids off to school. It’s easy to get into the creative brain and explore. I did a life drawing class at the Tallahassee Ballet, so I’m inspired by those figures. I recently painted boots, cowboys, and cattle for a market, though I’m known more for coastal pieces and abstracts. 

TM: Is your house a lab for mural painting? 

LP: It’s more like a gallery. The larger abstracts are displayed, then gone the next week to an interior designer or local store, like Chene Blanc or Mossy Co. But my mural projects have been fun. I sketch freehand with pencil or chalk and use wall paints from the local hardware store. 

The first mural I did was for a sorority sister. She has a tiny powder bath and wanted a hand-painted mural to liven it up. Together, we landed on palm fronds. I’ve done more hand-painted powder room murals since, including at the Kappa Delta house at FSU. The last frond pattern I did went across the ceiling, and I felt like Michelangelo. 

Photo by Diana Kane Photography

TM: What’s your process for painting a bespoke bathroom?

LP: My clients are trusting, and they don’t lean into the creative process. Most of the work is nailing down the pattern. I had one client from Louisiana, and they wanted something that looked like home, so I drew pelicans for them. Another client had me do herons in Alligator Point. 

TM: What draws you to the natural images you paint?

LP: Tallahassee in bloom has such bright colors, and I love the blues and greens of the beach area. My kids fish a lot, we explore trails together, and it’s easy to be part of what they do and incorporate it into my work. There are tiny moments every day. 

TM: Who in your family is artistic?

LP: My grandfather was a talented attorney in Tallahassee who painted sunsets, beaches, and waterfalls. My parents were artistic, so art was accessible for my brothers and me. All three of my kids are artistic. 

Photo by Diana Kane Photography

TM: What special feelings come from bringing wildlife art into the home?

LP: Bringing nature inside is adding organic joy. Most of my work is abstract, offering a feeling. I work with interior designers who use my paintings of fish, quail, spoonbills, lily pads, or coastal pieces and layer in my abstracts to get the feeling of garden elements or coastal colors.  

TM: What is your dream project?

LP: I just finished it! Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare commissioned me to create 35 pieces that are bright and playful. I leaned into springtime in Tallahassee, bright sunsets, and blooms. It was exploratory and dreamy.

TM: How can a client bring life to a space that feels dull or sterile?   

LP: Nature changes every day, so bring in the color. Paint your piano green, and put a beautiful abstract near it. If you tire of it, you can sell it or gift it.