PERSIMMONS IN GREEN GLASS © Anita Lovitt, Watercolor

“Ms. Lovitt’s artwork demonstrates an extraordinary and wide ranging understanding of graphic design and painting.She possesses a unique personal vision and demonstrates it with skill and intelligence.”—Milton Glaser, Dean, Yale School of Art

TRR: You are a multi-discipline artist and visionary. Can you tell us more about your background?

AL:

I was born and raised in Philadelphia and went to Penn State University to major in chemistry. I had always wanted to be a scientist. After taking a summer art class I decided to transfer to Philadelphia College of Art, where I majored in illustration. After graduating, I was hired by Hallmark and moved to Kansas City, MO.

I was assigned to an innovative department called “Special Projects.” It was exciting to meet artists from all over the country and get any supplies we wanted for free (a great way to learn about supplies), plus we got our work printed! In color! right after graduating, which could be challenging back then before digital printing. Also, while I was living in the Midwest, I got interested in quilts as an art form. In the 70’s, Hallmark was very conservative, so I did not get a real chance to shine. After a few years I left and went to study theater arts in nearby Lawrence, Kansas.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL Pop-up Stocking stuffer book. Illustrations ©Anita Lovitt

TRR: There is a theme in your life of being on a certain path and yet being open to exploring and following a new offshoot. Please tell us more!

AL:

At the University of Kansas, my primary instructor was James Gohl, who had been Master Painter for Boris Aronson, the designer of such Broadway hits as Zorba, Follies, Pacific Overtures, and many others. Jim had extremely high standards. For each project, we had to consider the script, costumes, props, history, set design, scene painting, lighting and more. He made us work hard, and I learned a lot about many different arts.

In 1976, I moved to New York City intending to seek theater work or illustration. One of my motives was to take Milton Glaser’s “Design and Personality” class at the School of Visual Arts. Milton had been a hero of mine since art school. I wish I could convey to you the magical sound of his voice, almost like a stringed instrument. He was brilliant and witty. After his class I thought of myself as not only an illustrator but a designer—someone capable of many types of projects. Milton particularly admired my quilted pieces—maybe because that was one thing he didn’t do!  

BEE PANIC ©Anita Lovitt. Cotton, fusible interfacing

Illustration was a difficult, freelance business, not as open to women in those days as it is now. Theater work usually required “paying your dues” (i.e. working for free) and had a union that was hard to get into. So in 1988, I became Graphic Design Coordinator for the Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City under Joseph Papp. Joe did not consider 3D art as exciting as 4D, i.e., theater. And I got to see a lot of theater. My ideas became more extra-dimensional. I was trained on a Mac Classic, and my digital career began.

With the stability of a regular art job, I was able to take classes in digital media, illumination, calligraphy, puppet making, lettering, photography, quilting, not so much painting at this time. Around then, a fellow puppeteer gave me a bunch of jewelry parts that his sister, who had passed away, had left. These little enameled metal pieces were like candy. I began constructing mobile jewelry and from the very beginning it was popular and sold in many museum shops. My gift for the small complimentary statement had translated over from greeting cards.

SPIRAL EARRINGS ©Anita Lovitt. Commercially baked enamel over metal

TRR: How did your move to Delray Beach lead you to become involved in Art In Public Places?

AL:

In 2001, I sublet my Manhattan apartment and moved to Delray Beach to spend more time with my mother. Two weeks later came 9/11. I couldn’t find work in publishing, so I stayed and started teaching watercolor painting. I started working on a calendar idea with the late Susan Keleher, program manager for Pineapple Grove Main Street, Inc. Sue had heard about a competition for a grant to do a mural at the south entrance to the Grove and persuaded me to enter. And I won!

DANCING PINEAPPLES ©Anita Lovitt. Mural, looking south

TRR: The mural is hard to miss at 137 East Atlantic and has become a destination for selfies. Its large- scale patterns, vivid colors and vibrant imagery of dancing pineapples announce to visitors that this part of town is serious about the arts. The challenge was to make the painting visible from a distance but also appreciable from close up. Using your knowledge of set design, you took a picture of the site and laid in the images with Photoshop before beginning. It was completed in October 2008 with the assistance of Benjamin Moore, who donated the paint. “It’s like a landmark,” you said. “I’m honored and happy that people like it.”

AL:

I had never done a mural. Nor did I have the needed equipment. My mother had recently died, and I thank my art-loving therapist Dan Lobovits who believed I could and should do this project, using my theater arts experience. Part of this mural’s appeal is that I approached it like a watercolorist: I put the light yellow down first and painted everything over it. If I had painted the darker orange first and then tried to put the yellow over it, it would not glow like it does!

PRAYERS FOR LAKE O. Handwritten prayers on cotton. Designed by Anita Lovitt

TRR: Following a devastating hurricane season in 2005-6, you worked as a hurricane crisis counselor with Project Hope, supervising teams to create large legacy quilts documenting the effects of the hurricane experience on communities in Palm Beach County. One of the quilts you did with your team is called “Prayers for Lake O.” You tied the lake down with knotted threads and prayers so “it wouldn’t overflow.” The therapeutic effect of creating something new, after having lost one’s possessions is deeply empowering.  Once people can realize that despite their loss they still have a creative spark within them, they are reassured that life will go on.

AL:

These quilts now hang in public buildings in Palm Beach County, including the Emergency Operations Center.

I served on the Public Art Advisory Board of Delray Beach for 4 years. My “ArtFans” marketing campaign featured the artwork of other Delray Beach public artists. The wood and paper fans were wildly popular and were distributed at free events to promote good will and offer information about art in Delray Beach and the PAAB. They were biodegradable so I wasn’t creating more trash, but we never saw one thrown away.

“ARTFANS” Marketing campaign for PublicArt Advisory Board of Delray Beach

TRR : And you also produced a coloring book?

SHOEFIRMATIONS ©Anita Lovitt 2015 Coloring book

AL:

Yes, in 2015, I self-published my first book, “Shoefirmations,” an inspirational coloring book. Each page featured a drawing of a shoe to color and an affirmation that was somehow related. I was just ahead of the surge of adult coloring books!

RADICAL JEWELRY MAKEOVER  Recycled Jewelry by Anita Lovitt

Last year I participated in the Radical Jewelry Makeover (RJM) project at the Lighthouse ArtCenter. This is a movement to recycle old broken and discarded jewelry—right up my alley, as my motto is “Straw into Gold”! While the opening was canceled due to COVID last March, the RJM show went up late this winter. I am honored to have some of my designs included! The show is up until March 20.

WATER LEAF DREAM ©Anita Lovitt, Watercolor

TRR: Your watercolor classes taking place on Zoom are very popular and the Palm Beach Watercolor Society just hired you to offer a Workshop in April. Tell us about your classes.

AL:

Since 2002, I have taught watercolor painting in Florida. I developed my skills in workshops with with Charles Reid, Mel Stabin, Skip Lawrence and others. My classes typically consist of a demo, followed by personal attention during the class time, followed by a supportive critique by the class. I also created a Facebook page, Anita Lovitt’s Watercolor Class Student Gallery, where current and former students can interact and comment on each other’s work. This has been a welcome addition, especially during COVID.

My involvement with the Palm Beach Watercolor Society (PBWS) includes service as Publicity Coordinator, Recording Secretary, and organizer of annual Paint-Arounds. At the Member Luncheon last March, I gave a presentation comparing taste in food with taste in art which was well-received. I am a Signature Member and recently won a second-place prize at the group’s show in Patch Reef Park. For me, it is not about the competition but more about the camaraderie of spending time creating with others. The process of creating while networking professionally helps everyone involved grow.

Camera shot of Zoom Class Student artworks with Anita Lovitt

Pre-COVID, I taught at local communities and cultural centers. The pandemic forced me to begin teaching on ZOOM. Surprisingly, I found that I liked it a lot and could deliver a great class to more people, some of them living as far away as Vermont and California. Many students have told me the class was the high point of their week, providing encouragement and socialization along with instruction during a challenging period. A number of students had some trouble understanding color temperature, which resulted in this workshop designed to explain it. My current classes include retired teachers (through the United Federation of Teachers). It is deeply gratifying that these teachers enjoy my classes so much, since I was not trained to be a teacher.

TRR: We can see the depth of your knowledge and have a sense of your multiple abilities!  What else should our readers know about you?

AL:

I offer original and custom paintings, prints, surface design, mini-murals, workshops and classes in painting and drawing, as well as consultation and speaking about art.