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Lora Lee Roberts

Watercolor, Poetry, and Stories

Art as a second language

Lora Roberts identifies herself publicly as a watercolor artist. She also writes poetry and short stories, forms that share watercolor's demand for selection: what to show, what to suggest, and what to leave open for the viewer or reader.

Her art belongs at the center of this archive. It gives the site something no generic biography can offer - original work with a visible hand, a date, a place, and a story.

The watercolor archive

Each artwork page should contain:

  • Title of the work
  • Year or approximate period
  • Medium and paper
  • Dimensions
  • Subject or location
  • Signature detail
  • Exhibition history
  • Award history
  • Current collection, if the owner consents
  • A short story from Lora or a family member
  • Front and back photographs when labels or notes exist
  • Rights and reproduction status

Do not upload untitled files such as IMG_4432.jpg. Use descriptive filenames such as lora-roberts-watercolor-missouri-garden-1988.jpg only when the subject and year are confirmed.

Awards and recognition

Lora's watercolor work received recognition in juried exhibitions, including an Award of Excellence at Soulard Art Gallery's FACES exhibition in St. Louis. The certificate, made out to Lora Roberts, is preserved in the family archive and photographed below. The exhibition date is being confirmed from the certificate.

Lora Roberts smiling and holding an Award of Excellence certificate from Soulard Art Gallery's FACES exhibition, standing beside two of her framed ink-and-watercolor portraits of faces with tree-branch hair.
Lora Roberts with her Award of Excellence from Soulard Art Gallery’s FACES exhibition, photographed with two of her ink-and-watercolor portraits. Family archive photograph; the exhibition date is being confirmed from the certificate.

Award record

Year Award Exhibition or organization Work Evidence
Being confirmed from the certificate Award of Excellence FACES exhibition, Soulard Art Gallery, St. Louis Not named on the certificate Certificate photograph, family archive

Additional awards reported by the family will be added to this record in the same way, as certificates, exhibition programs, clippings, or official results are digitized.

Exhibition record

Lora Roberts exhibited her work in "Outside: IN," a juried exhibition at Soulard Art Market in St. Louis in August 2010. The Saint Louis Watercolor Society's announcement lists Lora Roberts among the exhibiting artists; the show opened with a public reception on Friday, August 6, 2010 and ran through Friday, August 27, 2010 at Soulard Art Market & Contemporary Gallery, 2028 S. 12th Street.

A note on venue names: the Award of Excellence certificate above is from Soulard Art Gallery, while the 2010 juried show was held at Soulard Art Market - related Soulard art venues in St. Louis, but distinct names. The exhibition announcement documents the exhibition only; it is not evidence for the award, and the two records are kept separate here.

Wording to avoid

  • "Internationally acclaimed" unless international exhibitions are documented
  • "Renowned" without substantial independent coverage
  • Invented quotations from judges or collectors

Writing

Lora's public Medium profile says she enjoys poetry and short stories. Two essays published in August 2015 remain especially important.

"Peter" is a first-person account of the day she learned of her son's death. The essay begins inside an ordinary working day and records how quickly normal time can break apart. The full essay is preserved in this archive and should be linked and discussed with restraint.

"Melvin - My Doctor" looks back to childbirth in the 1960s and preserves details about marriage, motherhood, a daughter, and a family home being built. It is valuable not because it confirms a corporate milestone, but because it lets Lora speak in her own voice.

From the collection

Signed works photographed from the family collection. Titles, dates, and exhibition history are being documented; captions will be updated as records are confirmed.

  • Ink and watercolor artwork of a woman's face with closed eyes, red lips, and red flowers growing through flowing linework, signed Lora Roberts.
    Untitled ink and watercolor, a face among red flowers. Signed “Lora Roberts.” Title and date pending documentation.
  • Watercolor of a lion wearing a blue top hat decorated with red flowers, signed Lora Roberts.
    Untitled watercolor, a lion in a blue top hat. Signed “Lora Roberts.” Title and date pending documentation.
  • Ink and watercolor of a lioness looking up at a small blue bird perched on her ear, in teal and orange, signed Lora Roberts.
    Untitled ink and watercolor, a lioness and a bird. Signed “Lora Roberts.” Title and date pending documentation.
  • Brightly colored marker drawing of a llama adorned with flowers, beads, and tassels, wearing high heels, signed Lora Roberts.
    Untitled drawing, a festival llama. Signed “Lora Roberts.” Title and date pending documentation.
  • Marker and ink drawing of a yellow cat wearing a blue head wrap, necklace, red top, and blue shorts, signed Lora Roberts.
    Untitled drawing, a cat in a blue head wrap. Signed “Lora Roberts.” Title and date pending documentation.
  • Watercolor of a red delivery van with a figure running past the word Aerosmith painted on its side, signed Lora Roberts.
    Untitled watercolor, a red van. Signed “Lora Roberts.” Title and date pending documentation.

The Official Store

Collect Lora’s watercolors

Original watercolors and prints are available through Lora’s official store, where her work can be browsed and collected directly.

Visit the store

Gallery collections

Planned collections for the full gallery. Works are assigned to a collection once their subject and date are verified.

  • Missouri and St. Louis

    landscapes, homes, streets, gardens, and local subjects

    Works being cataloged

  • Flowers and Still Life

    studies of color, light, and arrangement

    Works being cataloged

  • Travel and Place

    works tied to specific journeys

    Works being cataloged

  • Family Collection

    paintings with direct family history

    Works being cataloged

  • Exhibited and Awarded Works

    only after show and award records are verified

    Works being cataloged

  • Sketchbooks and Process

    studies, test washes, notes, and unfinished work

    Works being cataloged

Curatorial introduction

Lora's watercolor practice reveals a patient attention to color, atmosphere, and memory. The archive presents each work not as a decorative image, but as a historical object. Dates, labels, exhibition records, family recollections, and photographs of the reverse side are preserved alongside the finished painting whenever possible.

Image rights

The family should confirm ownership of both the physical artwork and the reproduction rights before offering high-resolution downloads. Display images can be watermarked subtly in metadata rather than with a large visible mark across the painting. Keep archival masters offline and publish web-optimized derivatives.

How this page is sourced

Lora's status as a watercolor artist and writer is supported by her first-person Medium profile. The Award of Excellence from Soulard Art Gallery's FACES exhibition is documented by a family-archive photograph of the certificate; its exact date and any additional award claims remain to be confirmed from original records. Her participation in the August 2010 juried exhibition "Outside: IN" at Soulard Art Market is documented by the Saint Louis Watercolor Society's exhibition announcement (stlws.org, August 3, 2010), which lists her among the exhibiting artists.