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| Lauritz, Paul (1889-1975). Painter
Paul Lauritz was born in the small art colony of Larvik, Norway on April 18, 1889. Lauritz was exposed to art at an early age, studying with local and foreign artists in Larvik. At age 16 he moved to eastern Canada to live with his sister and found work as a hard rock driller in a mine. Working his way west, he worked as a commercial artist in Vancouver and Portland, OR where he began painting landscapes and portraits. The meager existence in artwork led him to Alaska with the Gold Rush. Unsuccessful as a miner, he again turned to painting and became a close friend of artist Sydney Laurence. The two artists held a joint exhibition before Lauritz left Alaska. In 1919 Paul Lauritz settled in Los Angeles and established a studio home in the Lyceum Theatre on Spring Street. When not teaching at the Chouinard and Otis Institutes or in his studio, Paul Lauritz made painting excursions to the Sierra, up the California coast as far north as Carmel, to Mexico (1921), the Columbia River (1924), and Norway (1925). While in his native land, he was commissioned by the King of Norway to do a painting for the royal palace. Lauritz was an involved member of the Los Angeles art community and served for six years on the Los Angeles Municipal Art Commission. A versatile painter, his diverse subjects include desert scenes, portraits, snow scenes, marines and landscapes. Paul Lauritz continued painting until his demise at his home in Glendale, CA on Oct. 31, 1975.
Source:
Edan Hughes, "Artists in California 1786-1940"
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