While living in Europe, Portuguese jazz musicians in Paris would call her "Luta" as she strolled across the plaza, hair a-flutter, paper and pastels in hand. Luta is a symbol of freedom and strength, and these attributes are consistently reflected in her artwork.

Today, Lu (as she prefers to call herself) is a remarkable self-taught, self-assured artist, who captures the female form in a moment of honesty, a time of thought.

Raised in a small town in Iowa, she continues to embrace the integrity of middle America through her depiction of real moments, filled with happiness and hurt, anticipation and anguish. All the while, she sticks to a need to be true with her art by using pastels, so that she can tug and turn at her subject to make each stroke a bold and sometimes irreverent touch of reality for the viewer.

A complete understanding of retail advertising and catalog design can only come from being totally immersed in the business. And that has always been Lu's approach. She started as a window dresser and merchandise coordinator for a major department store in Chicago; she quickly moved through the store and became head print advertising designer. Her refined sense of type, space and line are highly regarded. And, her exacting illustration style is incomparable.

Lu moved to the position of Vice President of one of Chicago's leading catalog design firms. It was here that she developed her capacity to manage multiple projects simultaneously, while still giving her honest eye and quick attention to all.

Eventually she opened her own studio where she now passionately pursues her two greatest loves: graphic design and fine art. At Lutalu design, these two worlds meet, forming beautiful art and smart advertising. Indeed, this is an unbeatable combination.