QUEEN OF ARTS

YOU ARE ENOUGH. LORRAINE STAUNCH

BY CHRISTINE GREEN I PHOTOS BY MICHAEL RIVERA

Mark Ippolito, co-founder of Comedy @ the Carlson was enjoying an evening with his wife when something familiar caught his eye. On the wall hung a piece of art in the beautiful style of artist Lorraine Staunch.

“I snapped a pic of it then I sent it to Lorraine. I was, ‘Look, we’re eating underneath one of your pieces!’ “I did open mic for several years and tried my hand at that,” says Staunch when asked how she developed a professional relationship with the Ippolito. “I realized I was a much better artist, than I was a comedian. I decided I better stick with what I can actually feed my family with!” have to make it look like it’s been there forever, that it’s got cigarette smoke on it, that it was used, old, and grimy.’ So, bringing that all together on the wall, that wasn’t even a challenge, it’s what I love to do. I like to make things that are flat and make them look dimensional.”

Ippolito knows Staunch’s art inside and out because every day he and partner Suresh Goel are surrounded by it. Comedy @ the Carlson is a microcosm of Staunch’s work from her faux finishes and set design to her portraiture.

During her early childhood in Vermont Staunch was creating art, so when it was time for college she attended the Ringling School of Art and Design in Florida. She graduated with a degree in Fine Art then moved to North Carolina to work as an illustrator for a Christmas decorating company. She was adept at set and theater design and faux finishes. In the 1990s she moved to Rochester.

Today, one only has to stop by Comedy @ the Carlson to get the full scope of just how talented she truly is. Despite not becoming the next Lucille Ball, Staunch did become good friends with Ippolito. So, when Ippolito and

Goel opened Comedy @ the Carlson and revamped the interior they knew who to turn to. The first task was to deal with sixty years of paint over the brick wall at the back of the stage. Removing the paint was going to be time-consuming and expensive. But Staunch had a plan.

“I looked at that wall and thought, ‘Oh, that’s easy. It’s just one great big 12-foot by 10-foot canvas, and I just Ippolito was impressed. “That’s like the cool thing that people don’t know about Lorraine. She can do stuff like that. You know obviously make it not just cost friendly, but actually make it really cool. So now I have this cool story to talk about. And she did such a good job there that we had to do it again in the foyer.”

She also helped select their color palette, distressed the new stools to match the industrial theme, and added special touches throughout to make it a welcoming space.

She painted caricature portraits honoring comedians that have passed away. Eleven of these striking paintings hang at Comedy @ The Carlson and include such greats as Joan Rivers and Rodney Dangerfield.

“When I walk in there, I feel a sense of calm, but I also feel that it has given joy to people, even if they haven’t even noticed,” says Staunch.

“Today, one only has to stop by Comedy @ the Carlson to get the full scope of just how talented she truly is.”

Staunch’s work can be seen all over the area – Get-It-Straight Orthodontics, Ontario Hearing Center, Smoking Hot Chicks BBQ, and GiGi’s Playhouse. But this is only a few of the satisfied customers in the area so don’t be surprised if you spy her work at other schools, homes, medical buildings, and restaurants, too.

Currently Staunch is working on a set of large-scale landscapes, “bringing new light to some of the landmarks in the area. Every town has an old barn that is really gorgeous or a bridge like a lift bridge, or the bunkhouses down in Canandaigua where I’m doing a whole series on those but I’m doing them in a way where they’re very big. You shout for joy when you see them!” says Staunch with glee in her voice.

It’s this joy and playfulness that is Staunch’s true hallmark as an artist and a person.

“I have never, ever, in the years of knowing her, ever seen her not smile,” says Ippolito. “She always has this huge smile that lights up the room. Everybody knows her. When she walks in the room it’s, ‘Hey how are you!?’ And it’s always followed by a nice big warm hug, and you can’t have a problem around her, because she’s the one that reminds you of the great things in life because she’s just so happy and joyful.”

Staunch’s art is known as “Art that makes you smile.” To learn more about her illustration, large (3’x4”) painted caricatures, murals, large commissioned paintings, performance art, and motivational speaking engagements visit lorrainestaunch. com.

BY NICOLE HEROUX PHOTOS WILLIAMS BY MICHAEL I PHOTOS RIVERA BY NSP STUDIO