LORNA HERF
About
Lorna Herf (b. 1975, Lowell, MA) is a Los Angeles, California based artist and metalsmith. Growing up by the seaside on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Lorna developed a lifelong love of the natural world, which persists today in her work that explores humanity’s connection to our environment.
In addition to her paintings and drawings, Lorna creates one of a kind fine art jewelry. She is happiest when combining disciplines: metalworking with painting and creating wearable artwork. Prior to focusing professionally on her art, Lorna has had a successful career developing software for artists and scientists, most recently creating tools to measure and understand the effects of light on the health and behavior of living things.
Lorna received her BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Massachusetts with a concentration in Design Studies. She studied with expert goldsmiths, scientific illustrators, and realist and expressionist painters to learn technical skills, art history, and find her artistic voice. Lorna is an active member of the Metal Arts Society of Southern California, the Enamelist Society, and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. She teaches painting and metalworking.
Artist Statement
Lorna primarily works with oil, watercolor, and acrylic paint, as well as copper, silver, gold, steel, and gemstones. She also incorporates lucite, natural materials, found objects, wood, and vitreous enamel. Lorna’s work combines cutting edge technology with traditional tools and techniques. She uses torches and antique hammers along with laser cutters and 3D printers in her daily work. Light and form are of primary interest in Lorna’s work, whether it be depicting shapes with color on canvas or using the physical properties of metal to create a shape that describes the human form.