Lawrence Trissel
| male | 1917-1989 |
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Life city:
Carmel, IN |
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Work city:
Carmel, IN |
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| Teachers: E. O'Hara F. Chapin M. Kahn |
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| Styles: Illustrations Landscapes Paintings Watercolors |
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An Illustrator from Indiana. Life dates are unknown and overall he is relatively unknown. He was an illustrator involved with University of Notre Dame and made at least one cover for their University Magazine. [The following biography was submitted by a site visitor] Lawrence Emory Trissel was born January 27, 1917, in Anderson, Indiana. Although his parents and older brother had no interest in art, Lawrence's abilities were recognized at a very young age. When he graduated from Anderson High School, he was awarded a full scholarship to attend John Herron Art School. While he was a student at Herron, he entered the state-wide juried art exhibit at the Indiana State Fair and won first prize for a beautiful oil portrait. The following year, he was awarded the “Outstanding Award” for his oil portrait of a girl. Lawrence graduated with a 5 year BFA degree in 1940 and returned to Anderson, Indiana, to open an art studio. Since he had been away for 5 years, he went to the library to renew his card. Lucille Hannaford, a high school senior, was working at the front desk. She recognized his name, as she had often heard about him from her high school art teachers. Being a bit star struck, she told him that she was going to John Herron on scholarship in the fall. Lawrence told her about his studio and asked if she would like to take art lessons. She, of course, said, "Yes!" When Lawrence discovered how difficult it was to make a living as a studio artist in a small town, he closed the studio and went back to Indianapolis to paint landscapes for Aaron Brothers Art Store. Sometimes he had too much work, so he hired Lucille, then a young art school student, to copy his paintings as reproductions. During that time, he also worked as an art teacher at The Park School for Boys. Lucille graduated with a BFA in 1945, and she and Lawrence were married that year. In 1943, Lawrence was hired as Art Director for Sidener-Van Riper Advertising Agency in Indianapolis. Subsequently, he worked as Art Director for various Indianapolis agencies, including Keeling and Company, Mark Gross and Associates, and Caldwell, Larkin & Sidener-Van Riper Advertising Agency where he was employed as an Art Director until 1964. Lawrence, Lucille, and their two children moved to Carmel, Indiana, in 1955, where they built a midcentury modern home with an art studio that included lots of glass for enhanced lighting. In 1964, Lawrence was hired as Art Director for Keller Crescent in Evansville, Indiana. He worked there until he retired and moved to Arizona in 1981, where he was inspired by the beauty of the desert. He continued to paint until his death in 1989. His gorgeous watercolors captured the colors and textures of the Arizona landscape. Lawrence always had an art studio in his homes in Indianapolis, Carmel, and Evansville, Indiana, as well as Peoria, Arizona. His paintings were exhibited throughout the country. He was a highly versatile and talented artist, working in oils, acrylics and watercolors, and he painted a wide variety of subjects and styles. His talents were recognized in both advertising and fine arts with numerous awards, including the Clio award in advertising and juried awards for watercolors and oils. His paintings have been in collections at Ball State University, DePauw University, The Phillips, and private museums and institutions around the world.
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