About Lori VanKirk Schue

The Artist

Artists take advantage of time and place to hone their insatiable need to create.

Lori did just that as a military wife, living in all regions of the United States and traveling in Europe, Asia, South America, and the Far East. She has spent more than 45 years learning about and creating art using various techniques, styles, and mediums. A diverse artist, she is accomplished in many art genres and disciplines.

Lori knew she wanted to be an artist when she was very young, and the need for creating art has only grown stronger throughout her life. She is thrilled, mystified, and comforted by her ability to create artwork that speaks to people of all ages. Teaching is a particular gift she has shared with students aged two to 90. Taking advantage of her many moves with her husband and children during his 26 years in the US Coast Guard, she used her visual communications degree and thirst for learning to glean information and expertise in a wide variety of art forms, from realism to abstract.

The many awards she received during her early design career gave her confidence to attempt and achieve inclusion in galleries and prestigious national shows. Wanting to fill a void in her children’s education when school systems were cutting art programs nationwide, she developed an art curriculum program for a “magnet” elementary school in California. As a result of her efforts, international publishers and program developers courted her as an authority on art education. This led to the first of over twenty books on art education and specialized story-enhanced art lessons published by powerhouses such as Evan-Moor and Scholastic.

Lori soon became a featured speaker at educational conferences, including NAE and NAEA. Although she enjoys teaching all ages, she loves teaching art to children, with a particular focus on art education for those with special needs. In 2009, she created Artlingz, Inc., a resource for anyone wanting to teach and create art with children. Soon after, she founded a unique format for children’s books called SeeSayCreate, Inc. SeeSayCreate engages children with a combination of story, creative vocabulary, and art activities for whole-minded learning. Her art and books have been shared, collected, and interpreted for artists all over the world.

Lori is a synesthete and has a particular interest in synesthesia. She has been chosen to exhibit her basketry at the prestigious Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, where she is now a very accomplished and sought-after instructor.

Lori spends time in her studios or making ink in her custom greenhouse, wildlife gardening, bee keeping, teaching an occasional adult art class, traveling with her family, honing her skills, and feeding her passion for art history.

Lori VanKirk Schue – Snapshot

  • Award winning fine and graphic artist
  • Author of bestselling Art Works for Kids published by Evan Moor and Art and Design by Scholastic
  • Professional Illustrator
  • Director of Curriculum Development for international children’s art programs
  • Creator and owner of Artlingz, Inc. and SeeSayCreate, Inc.
  • Degree in Visual Communications
  • Studies and research of chromatics and genius in Creative Psychology
  • Studied art and art history at Oxford University, England
  • Accomplished in painting, ceramics, basketry, illustration, art history
  • MAC multiple-award winner in signage and architectural design
  • Featured speaker for national education conferences
  • Exhibitor and Instructor, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
  • Member Association of Animal Artists