About the Artist: Lori Portka
About the Cover Artist
January 2025 Issue
About the Cover Artist — Lori Portka
by Lindsay Gifford
When it comes to art, Lori Portka has two mantras: 1. Happiness Through Art; 2. Art and Love from Me to You! Both are unmistakable the minute you see her vibrant, colorful, playful works. Her work literally radiates with happiness and exuberance, which she credits to her daily practice of gratitude. We’re excited to bring Lori’s joyful artwork to Pink Magazine’s cover for the second time.
As a child, Lori loved drawing so much she did it nearly every day. “You could find me huddled over a sketchbook with colored pencils, pencil shavings, and crayons spread all around the table. I loved to pretend I worked for Hallmark and made cards for my family, complete with a logo on the back,” Lori said. However, after she lost her father at the tender age of 15, she decided to set aside her art as she pursued a more traditional and solid career. She worked as a teacher and counselor for many years.
Later in life after a painful divorce, Lori turned to her art as a source for healing. “I wanted to keep gratitude front and center in my life even through the hard times, so I started a gratitude project I called, “100 Thank You’s.” I made 100 paintings for 100 people who had a positive influence on my life and held a gallery show with all the art. Afterwards, I delivered the paintings to each person I was grateful for,” Lori explained. This idea proved to have wings, as an Australian independent filmmaker learned about her project on social media and flew to the U.S. to film a short documentary about it called “Gratitude Grows.” A few years later the film aired on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday.
This gratitude project became the foundation for Lori’s art business, putting her on the path of creating art showcasing her gratitude for the world. Today, Lori lives in Asheville, N.C., with her husband and two matching black cats. She takes full advantage of the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and enjoys lots of hiking, biking and outdoor living for inspiration. Her art has bloomed into a stunning line of not only art prints, but also stationery, gifts, and home decor carried in shops all over the world. Lori is temporarily working out of a home studio because of the devastation from Hurricane Helene in Asheville’s River Arts District. As one of the 80 percent of local Asheville artists who lost their studios in the devastation of the storm, Lori and the entire community is strong, persevering, and pulling together to rebuild and recreate!
Lori’s artwork featured on the cover— “Travel the World” —was inspired by how much she wanted to create a life for herself that was intentional and joyful. “I love doing yoga, and tree pose is my favorite!”
Lori’s colorful prints, giclées, wood prints, card sets, postcards, magnets, fabric accessories, greeting cards, home décor, puzzles, pillows, scarves, stickers, and much more can be found on her website www.loriportka.com. She loves to connect with customers: Call her at 315-491-6488, and keep up with her newest works on Facebook and Instagram @LoriPortkaArt.