April Laragy Stein

Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you will find April Laragy Stein peacefully painting in Artisan Work’s Marylin Monroe Room. It’s easy to be fooled by her gentle silence, but upon viewing her work, one is quickly confronted by narrative spice and passionate energy. April chooses easy characters and subjects, transforming them into complex, dreamlike storyboards. One solid theme cannot embody a painting of floating figures or lonely musicians suspended over rolling city and landscapes. Viewers may find themselves inserting plots and conclusions or projecting personal experiences into these mysterious romances. Influenced by Chagall, Matisse, and early Kandinsky, April’s watercolor, gouache, and acrylic paintings are compelling and rich with fantasy. The broad theme of her exhibited work embodies the earthly dimensions of time and space and transports the viewer across whimsical tales that are familiar to the heart.

One of nearly a dozen artists-in-residence, April joined the AW family nearly five years ago when she met Louis Perticone. Her earliest works became an undeniable presence on the gallery walls, and their tangy color and bittersweet subject matter immediately appealed to many patrons and Acquisition participants. Her work can be viewed throughout the region as part of the Acquisition programs at Pare Restaurant, Max at Eastman Place, and Paychex corporate headquarters.