Lainie L Calhoun-Bouchey is an artist born and raised in Cape Vincent, NY. Life has seen her live in various parts of the North Country as well as several years in South Carolina around her middle school years and Tennessee for much of the last several years. Now they are back in their hometown and working locally for a small business in the arts. This position allows for her to use creativity and art for the creation of product as well as imagery for the website. Over the years Lainie always been creative and a maker, but some experiences and the effects they had on her mental health led to a multiple year hiatus before returning to art for its healing effects. While Lainie practices several types of art she primarily considers herself a photographer. Other art mediums she practices include pressed floral (alone or for collage), mixed media collages of various styles, sculptural, design (including but not limited to product and home interior), and some woodworking (primarily custom frames)! She believes art has the ability to heal and bring people together and does not believe you can take too many pictures!
1. What’s the weirdest or most unexpected place an idea for your work has struck you?
I Actually had a really cool exhibit idea come to me recently. I was standing in the shower letting the heat help my knotted muscles and I had my phone propped up outside the shower so I could still watch tv on it (because I work a lot and never get to) when it hit me. I’ve been planning ever since
2. What’s a non-creative job or task you’ve done that unexpectedly feeds your creative work?
Organization normally leads to inspiration for me.
3. What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself because of your creative practice?
I can relax and be creative and it’s ok. I don’t need to be stressed and ON all the time worrying about work, or home, or school, etc.
4. What's the most delightfully useless skill you have?
I have hyper-mobility so I can twist my foot backwards, I regularly stand with my knees backwards because it feels more natural to me, my thumb can bend back to my arms, and I can reverse the joint where my pinky meets my hand among many other weird things relating to my joints.
5. What’s something you swear you remember existing but no one else does?
You know the brand Stouffer’s… they make frozen meals and it’s a little known Mandela Effect that people think they make box stuffing like Stove Top! I never realized until recently that that’s not true.