Lauree Manzer
Lauree Manzer was the Branch County Art Guild's February 2002 Artist of the Month. She was a member of the guild for 20 years.
Lauree began art as a child. Her sister, Elva, encouraged her, furnishing Lauree with oil paints and canvas to paint with, and scrap paper for sketching, later taking Lauree's paintings to Detroit to sell them. Lauree studied art in high school. Her favorite artist is Robert Woods, because of how he paints trees and places old buildings in landscapes. Lauree's favorite subjects were old buildings, and she did historical research as well as use the memories from her childhood. She also did a series of portraits and florals.Lauree's favorite media included watercolors and oils. One of her goals was to paint what others will not paint. Lauree stated she enjoyed thinking about the art she did, putting herself into it, to the point she almost was "locked in."
Lauree's art is a combination of realism and impressionism. Some of her historical paintings were donated to the Branch County Library historical archives after her passing.
