Heralded as a leader in the genre of contemporary realism, Laurie Regan Chase is one of the most exciting artists to emerge in recent years.
Her paintings capture the simple, untarnished charm of the countrysides and coastline communities that she has visited in her travels. She has become known for her lifelike interpretation of reflections, so realistic one can actually feel the light, the heat and the motion of the water.
Her goal is to tell a story of the harbors and hillsides of her journeys, capturing the ambiance and character of each region. From translucent skies mirrored in a sheltered Mediterranean harbor, to a weatherworn wooden fishing boat bobbing with the Caribbean surge, her compositions recall the solitude of everyday experiences while recording a culturally colorful seaside odyssey.
Chase was born in Chicago where she gained a love of water through sailboat racing on Lake Michigan. Her formal education began at the Art Institute of Chicago, and continued later at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, receiving her Bachelor of Science degree. After moving to San Francisco in 1976, Chase concentrated on painting scenes along the picturesque California coast. In subsequent years, she has gone on to find similar inspiration for her scenic portraits during her private sailing travels throughout the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas as well as the southeastern coast of the United States, Hawaii, Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean.
She has showcased her work in one-woman exhibitions in the United States and Europe, and has gallery affiliations in San Francisco, Napa, Tiburon, Half Moon Bay, Carmel, Los Angeles, Chicago, Annapolis, Edmunds, WA and Portofino. Her work is also published by Editions Limited and Laila’s of Canada. In 1997, the mayor of Portofino, IT gave her the keys to the city, proclaiming her the “ambassador of the beauty of Portofino to the world.”
She is also known for her commissioned paintings of privately owned classic antique wooden boats and yachts.
She is a signature member of the American Society of Marine Artists, and has been juried into many Maritime Museum shows around the United States.
