Raymond Lawler

I was born in Connecticut during the Second World War. Other than visiting relatives in Long Island I never left the state until I joined the Navy in 1963. That experience turned me into a traveller want-to-be. Fortunately, after getting 2 academic degrees, I satiated my ambition to be. I have lived, worked, or travelled in more than 84 countries around the globe. And, I got paid for most of it.
I currently live in Florida, with two cats and Wonder Woman. I have been, at various times a logistics consultant, photojournalist, sculptor, writer, and currently an award-wining artist.

I am primarily a self-taught. At 3 years old I was the happy recipient of a box of Crayola’s from my grandpa. My first work of art reached about 3 feet high and extended along all 4 walls of my bedroom. My mother was furious and was going to give me a good whooping. Grandpa came in just in time and yelled. “Don’t touch that boy. I guess I should have given him some paper too.” About 3 weeks later I was probably the youngest kid in my neighbourhood with his own drafting table. I started painting by numbers at 5 and completed a free hand painting of Saint Thaddeus at 7. Why? Because he had a huge beard that was easy to draw and paint. At 13 I complete...

I am a graduate of the US Navy School of Photography and have a BA and MA in Economic and Transportation Geography. Prior to settling into my profession as a port and logistics expert, I also worked as a architectural drafts man, cartoonist, illustrator, graphic artist, and free-lance photojournalist.

Exhibitions and Awards
Agora Gallery N.Y., N.Y, Jan-April 2010,
New Century Gallery, N.Y., N.Y, 2013 & 2014
Historic Spanish Point Museum, Jan-Feb 2019
Awards
Best in Show for “Poly-phobic Gardens”, Florida’s Finest Exhibition, Sarasota Art Center 2016 followed by a Second place in 2017 with “And the Band Played On”
First Place for “Cooling Off”, Veteran’s Show, Sarasota, FL 2016 followed by a Best in Show for “Turbaned Beggar” 2017
Second Place for “Children of the Mountains”, Art Center Manatee Autumn Show, 2017,
Best in Show for “Nocturnal Fantasies” in 2018 and the “Bengali Fisherman” 2019 in the autumn art exhibitions sponsored by Art and Frame of Sarasota FL.
Third Place for The Desolution of the Pachyderms, Sarasota Art Center , "Reveal" Exhibition 2021