Birgitta Lapides

Painting and the fine arts have always been an integral part of my life. But it was as a weaver and clothing designer for many years, first in Sweden, where I was born, then in Belgium and France, and finally in the United States, that I learned the supreme importance of color and texture. These elements, combined with the fabulous palette of Arizona's earth and sky, have inspired me both in my landscape and non-representational (abstract) painting. My art is an act of homage to the gifts of nature and to the wonders of the imagination.

I began formal art education at L'Ecole Superieure D'Architecture et L'Art Appliqué in Brussels in 1977, and continued my studies at Pratt Institute in New York City, receiving my A.A. degree in textile design in 1982. I also studied drawing and painting at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Cannes. While living for many years in the South of France I operated my own studio/workshop, where I sold hand-woven jackets of my design. The brilliant colors of sea, sky and earth along the Mediterranean entered indelibly into my creative imagination.

My work may be found in many private and corporate collections in Europe and the United States.