Portrait of a painter

Six days a week, Peter Lawrence balances a hectic work schedule as a waiter at two Bloomington restaurants. And on his day off each week -- a day when most would rest and relax -- Lawrence tries to supplement his income as an artist. \nWorking the cliche starving artist job as a waiter at the IMU Tudor Room and Casablanca has not impeded Lawrence's artistic progress. \n"My paintings follow their own sensibility, making sense in the context of themselves," he said. \nUnbound by social constraints, Lawrence, 41, wants to enliven the art world with his original style. But fearful of devastating artistic repercussions, he evades ventures into the lofty ideals of his style. \n"I hesitate to describe my work when there could be other sides to it — things that I don't fully understand," he said. "I find that work can't be fully realized if I say what it means."\nWhile Lawrence remains modest, Judy Drew, manager of the Tudor Room, doesn't hesitate to describe his work in the restaurant.\n"Peter is extremely dependable and loyal. He never misses work," she said.\nLawrence attempts to characterize his work as that of a perfectionist "who is meticulous and generous — but mostly ... as honest." \n "I try to seduce the viewer with the work so they don't get tired of it. To do this," he said. " I find that if I can make them look twice, I can make them look a lot of times."\nNorm Lann, owner of Gallery West, where Lawrence's work is currently exhibited, describes Lawrence's art as "special work."\n"It's wild, circular and abstract with dramatic swirling effects, but it is still realistic," Lann said. "He definitely paints with his own unique style." \nLawrence said his work is more than a painting of a subject; it is a physical object striving for a voice in a cluttered environment — so he makes his pictures big. Some of his paintings measure more than seven feet wide and 14 feet tall.\nLawrence's art begins with ideas garnered from philosophy and classical literature.\n"I have taken a lot of inspiration from tragic heroes in literature, particularly Ahab in "Moby Dick." I find I can dive into these kinds of characters with an incredible intimacy, making them salient for the viewer," he said.\nAs a child growing up in the San Francisco area in the small suburb of Pleasanton, life wasn't always easy. After high school, his family temporarily lost its home, and he had to live with other family members while he worked in the family business. \nAt 29, Lawrence enrolled at Sonoma State University, but he didn't stop working. He took a full course load and still made the trip home each week to help his family.\nThough Lawrence originally doubted art's profitability, he has always identified himself as an artist. And the "F" in his introductory business statistics class solidified any doubts and changed his life forever. \n"I had this illusion that you had to go into business to be successful, but my temperament is not for the business world," he said.\nSince Lawrence moved to Bloomington, the art community has taken notice of his talent. He was awarded the Elizabeth A. Griffin Merit Award and the Art Illiana Merit Award at the 56th and 57th annual Wabash Valley Juried Exhibition, respectively. The IMU purchased his painting "Girl in a Window" and displayed it in its principal collection.\nAlthough Lawrence waits tables 72 hours a week, he still finds time to paint nearly every day, and he's confident that his art will pay off in time. \n"I have no doubt at all that I will be a successful artist," he said. "It just takes time."\n-- Contact staff writer Chris Sommerfeld at csommerf@indiana.edu.