Double Life: Raleigh painter Lori White combines science and art

Lori White already has a doctorate degree and a successful career as a science administrator for a federal agency.

In 2002, she watched her children go off to college and decided to pick up a favorite childhood pastime: painting.

Growing up in Pennsylvania, White said there wasn’t much to do in the small town where her grandmother raised her. She was an active child and even had a morning paper route, which would forever make her a morning person.

However, White was injured in a car accident at the age of 11 and faced a slow recovery. She had taken some painting lessons from an artist in town and so she picked up her pencils and paintbrushes while recovering from her injuries.

White enjoyed art but it fell by the wayside after childhood as she pursued her scientific studies, first at Clarion University and then at George Mason University. After graduating with an undergraduate biology degree, she moved to the Triangle in the 1980s and pursued graduate degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She obtained a doctorate in molecular neurophysiology.

She’s spent the last 20 or so years working as a federal scientist or a science administrator. When White returned to painting in the early 2000s, she dived back in: taking local classes, attending workshops in the North Carolina mountains, Hawaii and California and even going to plein air conventions, or gatherings of artists who paint outside.

White, 59, of Raleigh finds herself drawn to traditional landscapes and describes herself as a “contemporary realist painter of landscapes and still lifes.” Her paintings feature birds, buildings (UNC’s Wilson library, Durham’s Carolina Theatre), wet city street scenes in downtown Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, landscapes of snowy winter scenes, farmhouses and the Raleigh skyline as well as the occasional still life.

Fellow artist and friend Susan Jones of Raleigh marvels at White’s handling of light in her paintings; a scene that actually may look dark at first glance reveals depth, sparkle and lightness. Jones also notes that White’s scenes are easy for viewers to connect with personally, like one that Jones, a quilter, has in her bedroom of a quilt laying on a bed.

White often chooses to paint outdoor and nature scenes, which she sees as an extension of a scientific career and work on enviromental issues.

“I’m asking people when they look at the work: ‘Look at this! We can lose this if we’re not careful,’ ” White said.

Along the way, White’s work has gained attention. Her paintings have appeared in local, regional and national juried shows. She’s an exhibiting member of the Oil Painters of America and a signature member of the Pastel Society of America. Four years ago, she and three other artists started Raleigh’s Tipping Paint Gallery to sell their works.

White finds that her work skills translate to her artwork. “I bring my project management skills to painting,” she explains. She gets up early and takes photographs of outdoor scenes. She identifies the painting’s focal point and stays on task. She manages her time well to complete her paintings.

“I realized I have a limited amount of time to paint so I make the most of it,” White said.

White’s daughter, Quinn, admires that her mother has been able to succeed in both science and art.

“It just shows how much you can achieve in two areas simultaneously,” Quinn White said. “It shows if you get out and do it, you never know what might happen.”

This story was originally published October 17, 2015 at 6:25 AM with the headline "Double Life: Raleigh painter Lori White combines science and art."