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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

The Roberts family reports that Lora's watercolor work won awards. The online research completed for this site did not locate a reliable public record naming those honors.

That means the launch copy should not use a vague, unsupported superlative. Instead, this page should add a documented award table as soon as the underlying material is available.

Award record template

Year Award Exhibition or organization Work Evidence
[YEAR] [EXACT AWARD NAME] [SHOW / SPONSOR] [PAINTING TITLE] Certificate, program page, clipping, or official results

Approved wording after the first record is verified

"Lora's watercolor work received recognition in juried exhibitions, including [exact award] at [exact exhibition] in [year] for [work]."

Wording to avoid

  • "Internationally acclaimed" unless international exhibitions are documented
  • "Renowned" without substantial independent coverage
  • "Award-winning" with no named award anywhere on the site
  • 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. It 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.

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. Award claims remain family-supplied until exact records are digitized.