Local artist celebrates families in most beautiful way

Starting to doubt we’ll ever see spring blooms after this marathon winter? Head to Lorelei Muller’s booth at the local Farmers’ Market on April 8 in Ormstown for some much needed flower therapy as her watercolours will no doubt remind that spring and all its beauty is just around the corner. “I have always loved nature and flowers in particular,” says Lorelei Muller, who drew constantly as a child. When her children were young, she began taking watercolour classes with Pat Walsh. This led to a group exhibition at the Alfred Langevin Cultural Hall in Huntingdon but artistic pursuits were interrupted as she opted to take a position leading 4-H Quebec. Nine very busy years later, she decided to leave the job and after taking some time to catch her breath, went back to her watercolour roots. A purist, Muller creates her entire pallette of colour by mixing from 3 blues, 3 reds and 2 yellows. “I feel like I am down to serious work,” she says of her watercolour painting. “I have to plan,” she explains, noting how there is no white other than the paper, and how difficult it can be to eliminate any mistakes. Then in a bold move, she registered with the Huntingdon County Farmers’ Market for last year’s series of winter markets. Back for the 2018 winter markets she is now developing a whole line of stationery, greeting cards, magnets, originals and prints for sale. What she is most proud of, however, are her Family Bouquets and Blossoms for Babies paintings, which feature her exquisitely detailed birth month flowers. Gift ideas for Mom and new moms everywhere It was while thinking of a wedding gift for a relative that she came up with the idea for her first family bouquet painting. Unique and personalized, the family bouquet and blossoms for babies may be a niche market but with a broad appeal. “I think that the more I do the more people will become aware of them,” says Muller. [caption id="attachment_46325" align="alignnone" width="521"] Lorelei Muller has developed the Family Bouquet as a tribute to the beauty of families. To speak with her about depicting your own family, contact her through Facebook. (Photo Lorelei Muller)[/caption] “There is a real connection to a lot of the commissions because you get to know the people you are doing the work for,” she says, while describing how she incorporates the symbolism of flowers into all of her Family Bouquets and Blossoms for Babies paintings. For example, for one client she remembers the thrill of learning the parents in the family bouquet were married in September, so she was able to bind the family’s flowers with morning glory. She also recounts how touched she has been to learn of family member milestones as she paints their flowers. With the upcoming launch of her website, she is hoping to reach an international audience interested in flowers, however “paintings for my community carry extra affection for me.” Volunteer artist Along with her work with watercolours - and a new-found interest in mixed-media and acrylics - is a dedication to volunteer work in the Valley. She has long been the artist behind the beautiful renditions on the Valley Flower Show Programs, and most recently, she created a set of bookmarks for the Ecole-O-Champ program as well as a collection of Wildflower Colouring and Identification pages for the Dunn Memorial Scout Camp, as a form of self-guided programming to benefit camp visitors. Volunteering through her artwork allows her to be involved with groups that are important to her in a way that makes the most sense, she says. And while, she admits she can’t wait for spring, and the return of live subjects blossoming in her gardens, she will wait out the remnants of winter by working to launch her website: www.artblooms.ca. Those interested in speaking with Lorelei, can reach her through Facebook (Lorelei Muller Artist) or during the remaining two winter markets in Ormstown.