Artist Spotlight: Lorraine Bracher
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- Last Updated: Thursday, 26 June 2014 20:30
Lorraine Bracher is an artist with a mission. It isn’t to create award winning works, although she has done that. It isn’t for the love of the art, although she does love what she does. It isn’t even to fulfill a desire to try something new - she’s done that too. Lorraine creates for many reasons, but her mission revolves around money- specifically fundraising for the Wounded Warrior Project.
After retiring from a 30-year teaching career Lorraine and her husband, Greg, moved to Florida. The gift of a pottery course from her children was the catalyst for her current path as a ceramics artist. She was asked by a fellow potter to complete the surface decoration and glazing for his finished pieces, which brought her into a new realm of her artistic endeavors. Lorraine received Medal of Excellence in Art at the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival for her efforts in this collaboration. Since that time, Lorraine has created a series titled “Duets” which features her collaborations with other artists.
Like most artists, her art is always evolving – she enjoys trying new techniques. She loves to create hand built dishes, kitchen cookware, vases and tiles, but her specialty is finishing the pieces. She incorporates sculptural elements and photos into her work in addition to the extensive time she spends drawing details and hand-painting designs onto the surface. Inspiration also comes from friends and family members that send drawings and photographs for Lorraine to recreate on ceramic tiles.
All of her work is decorated with Mayco products and has appeared in exclusive shops and museum stores, but the most unique part of her artwork is that it is not a business…it is a labor of love.
Lorraine’s son, Lt. Cmdr. Scott Thomas Bracher, USN, lost his life serving the United States in 2005. Lorraine donates all of the profit from her art sales to military organizations that assist our nation’s heroes. By giving to The Wounded Warrior Project, The USO and Fisher House, Scott’s love for his country and for his military family continues. Through his mother’s art, his compassion spreads to fellow warriors and their families. Lt. Cmdr. Bracher was a decorated pilot and earned the Navy Top Hook award five times during overseas deployments and earned two Air Medals and a Navy Commendation Medal for his honorable contributions to the war on terror during Operation Enduring Freedom.
We are very appreciative for the efforts of people like Lorraine and are particularly proud that Mayco products can be part of her work. Her story is particularly touching to some of us at Mayco as we have sons, daughters and other family members as veterans or currently serving our country. We are grateful for all military personnel and their families for their service and daily sacrifice.
To learn more about Lorraine, her son Scott and her art and her mission, visit http://potterybylorraine.com/