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22 « WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Artist Podi Lawrence is selling off her art and moving to Panama Instead of working on commisâ€" sions, as she‘s done for 40 years, the 66â€"yearâ€"old will paint whatever piques her interest from her new home in Panama. For local artist Podi Lawrence, L the time has come to say goodâ€" bye to Waterloo. _ â€" "I was thinking that at my age I want to be in a place where I want to be for the rest of my life, and I don‘t want to be in Waterloo," she said, admitting the winter weather has something to do with it. Goodbye Podi She plans to travel light â€" a couple of suitcases, along with her cat and dog â€" and is unloading a lot of her artwork right now. Many of her pieces were aucâ€" tioned off last weekend, and some works may still be available at her studio in the Marsland Centre. For Lawrence, painting has been a lifelong passion that began when she picked up a paintbrush for the first time at five years of age. "I used to love rainy days so I could do some more painting," she Right from the start her focus was on painting people: friends, "I used to like drawing ladies in crinoline dresses," she recalled. family and dassxfiéte&' Since those early days her style and portfolio has expanded draâ€" matically. The awardâ€"winning artist who‘s originally from England is best known locally for her paintings of the Uptown Waterioo Jazz Festiâ€" "Dancers, musicians, anybody creative â€" I think they have an inner sense. They have to dig deep inside themselves to produce good music," she said. "So I think I associated myself with them at an early stage." _ _ "You see different little characâ€" teristics that I would like to transâ€" late," she said. "I treat it as a lanâ€" guage. â€" â€" Her career took off in the late 1980s when the English National Ballet offered her a residency. She never lost her love of porâ€" trait painting though. _ _ _ APRIL 30 TO MAY 4 at Princess Cinema from Germany and Austria For ticket information, films and times please visit kinofest.ca NEW FILMS "First of all you‘ve got to learn By Jennirer OrmSsTON _ Chronicle Staff _ Local artist Podi Lawrence is packing up and moving to Panama as soon as her condo sells. Before she goes, selling off her art. For information, go to her website at www.podiarts.on.ca. ARTS FOCUS JENNIFER ORMSTON PHOTO , she‘s the words. Then you‘ve got to learn your grammar and put it into senâ€" tences. Then you can become creâ€" "It‘s the same with painting. You learn colours and how to manipuâ€" late them. You learn how to draw. And once you‘ve got those skills then you can move on and create." land, and Paris, France. Her work has been shown in many exhibitions in London, Engâ€" By the time she moved to Waterâ€" loo in 1999, Lawrence‘s career was well established. But local residents didn‘t respond that well to her art, she admits. "I think with a lot of people it‘s a question of understanding," she said. "And the majority of people don‘t understand enough about art and its creative process." Over time her name has become well known in the local arts scene, which Lawrence credits to her assoâ€" ciation with the jazz festival. "I think her contribution really has been quite extraordinary," said local artist Peter Etril Snyder, who has known Lawrence for many She‘s also the founder of ArtBites Gallery, a coâ€"operativeâ€"style gallery in Waterloo Town Square that gives local artists the opportunity to show their work. Artist Laurie Spieker will takeover Lawrence‘s leadership duties at ArtBites once she‘s gone. And, in her opinion, the impresâ€" sionistic artist will be remembered most for her enthusiasm and supâ€" port of the arts. "There are 17 artists here who wouldn‘t be in this space without her influence," Spieker said. "We‘re going to miss her." â€" For information on purchasing Lawrence‘s art, go to her website at www.podiarts.on.ca or email her at podilaw@rogers.com. "I think her contribution really has been quite extraordinary." â€" Peter Etril Snyder