EDUCATION

1984 - 1987 Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA

                    BFA, with Honors

1980 - 1983 San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, CA
                    AA , Honor roll

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TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2004 - present Athenaeum, La Jolla, CA. Pen and Ink, Watercolor and Mixed Media

2004 - 2017 Palomar College, San Marcos, CA. Drawing and Composition

2015-2019 UCSD Extension, La Jolla, CA. Pen and Ink, and Animal Illustration. Illustration Certificate Program.

2017  One week teaching urban sketching on location in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 

2015  One week teaching urban sketching on location in Nice, France.

2009  LINK, a free once-a-month program for at-risk teens sponsored by the AIGA.

2007 - 2008  Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego, CA. High school conservatory program.
                     Children’s Book Illustration, Pen and Ink and Mosaic

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EXHIBITIONS

 

JURIED

2025 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Vibrations” Juror Richard Hawk, ("London Bikini a.k.a. Hail Britannia")

2025 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Vibrations” Juror Richard Hawk, ("Bird Friends")

2025 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Between the Lines” Juror, Joan Merrick. (“With Dad at Comicon”)

2024 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Finding Nuance” Juror, Krentz Johnson. (“Peace”)

2024 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Scintillation” Juror, Robin Erickson (“Chickens in Space”)

2024 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Evoking Mystery” Juror, Alice Kayla. (“Salt Shaker Sub”)

2024 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Not Obvious” Juror, Bob Burridge. (“US2”)

2024 2nd Place, Bonita Museum, 80th anniversary, Chula Vista Art Guild, Juror, Beverly Berwicks.

 (“Bakery Boys”)

2024 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Scintillation,” Juror, Robert Erickson. (“Weightless”)

2024 32nd Athenaeum Annual Juried Exhibition. La Jolla, CA.  Juror, Armando Pulido (“Mod Squad”)

2024 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Optional Paths,” Juror, Linda Doll. (“Place des Vosges”)

2024 National Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, Juror Larry Moore. (“Bakery Boys”)

2024 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Treasures,” Juror Suzanne Nicolaisen  (“Going Home”)

2024 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition,"Emerging Free,"  (“Musée d'Orsay”)

2024 National Watercolor Society and The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour, “2024 International     
         Exchange Exhibition,"  juried by Carolyn Latanision (“Place des Vosges")

2023 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition,"Luminous Spaces," Juror Chuck McPherson (“La

         Valencia”)

2023 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition,"Virtual Show," Juror Angela Chang (“Holly's Garden”)

2023 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “The Element of Surprise,"  juried by Liz Walker (“Goth
         Girls”)

2022 Urban Sketchers, Gallery 21, Spanish Village, Balboa Park, San Diego , CA (San Francisco buildings, San
         Francisco Buildings 2, Say Cheese, Man reading news with dog.)

2022 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, "Grey Matters,"  juried by Drew Brandish ("Training Day")

2022 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, "Visual Dialogues,"  juried by Ken Goldman ("Main Street
         Fantasy," Honorable Mention)

2022 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, "Break for Soup,"  juried by Edward Abrams ("The Hug,"
         Honorable Mention)

2022 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, "Simple Pleasures,"  juried by Thomas Franco ("Mama I
         can't Breathe")

2022 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, "I Got Rhythm," juried by Ralph Kingery ("Phoebe")

2022 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, "Go Paint," juried by Pierre Guidetti  ("Coffee with Dan")

2021 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “Beyond Rules” ("Good Kids" AKA "Summer")

2021 San Diego Watercolor Society, Member Exhibition, “My Life, My Story," juried by Graeme Stevenson
        ("Saturday", and "Sunday")

2019 Athenaeum, Annual Juried Show, La Jolla, CA, 2 pieces ("US1" and "US3", now called "Family")

2019 Art on 30th, Juried Show "Double Trouble", San Diego, CA, 2 pieces ("US1" and "US3")

2019 Oceanside Museum of Art, Sparks Gallery, Juried Show, San Diego, CA ("10 Women")

2017 Athenaeum, Annual Juried Show, La Jolla, CA ("10 Women") 

2016 Cannon Gallery, Annual Juried Show, Carlsbad, CA ("10 Women")

2014 Athenaeum, Annual Juried Show, La Jolla, CA  ("Little People") 

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SOLO

2025 Encinitas Library, Encinitas, CA, “People, Places & Things” 

2021 Girard Gourmet, La Jolla, CA, “From the Archives” 

2019 Girard Gourmet, La Jolla, CA, "20 Years of Different Just Like Me"

2019 Athenaeum, Bread & Salt, Barrio Logan, CA, "10 Women," for Women’s History Month.

2018 Athenaeum, La Jolla, CA, “The Super Secret Show”

2018 Girard Gourmet, La Jolla, CA, “Coffee Shops” 

2017 Girard Gourmet, La Jolla, CA, “People & Places” 

2015 Girard Gourmet, La Jolla, CA, “The Art of Lori Mitchell” 

2014 Girard Gourmet, La Jolla, CA, “Illustrations by Lori Mitchell" 

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GROUP

2023 Flower Pot Cafe, La Jolla, CA. The history of the coffee shop as sketched in their various locations over
         several years.

2023 “Athenaeum Faculty Show," San Diego, CA

2023 “Synchronicity,” Sips Gallery, with *TWA, San Marcos, CA

2023 "Black and White," Fallbrook Library, Fallbrook, CA

2022 “Turning Tides,” with TWA, BFree Gallery, La Jolla, CA

2022 “Metamorphosis of a Coffee Shop,” Flower Pot Cafe, La Jolla, CA

2021 "NOW" with TWA, Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, CA

2020 "20/20" with TWA, Fresh Paint, La Jolla, CA.

2019 San Diego Art Institute, "A Tribute to Pam Whidden: Models are to Artists Like Flowers are to Bees," 

         San Diego, CA.

2018 Cannon Gallery, “Prom Show” with TWA, Carlsbad, CA

2018 Inspiration Gallery, “San Diego and Beyond,” Art Posse, Liberty Station, San Diego, CA. 

2018 Fallbrook Library, Exhibit with TWA, 10 Women, Fallbrook, CA.

2017 Helmuth Projects, “Nasty Women” Juried exhibit, San Diego, CA, 

2016 Girard Gourmet, "Three Generations," La Jolla, CA,

2015 California Center for the Arts Museum, "Writing with Pictures,” Escondido, CA. 

2015 Art Walk, Liberty Station, San Diego, CA

2014 Cannon ArtGallery, “Original Art: Celebrating the Fine Art of Children’s Books,” Carlsbad, CA

2004 - 2015 Boehm Gallery, Annual Faculty Exhibit, Palomar College, Escondido, CA.

*TWA, Time For Women Artists

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PERMANENT COLLECTION

2019 Baldessari, Athenaeum Music and Art Library, La Jolla CA. Acquired 201

 

PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS

2021 Warwick’s 125 year Anniversary. La Jolla, CA. Three panel timeline of the family-owned bookstore from 1896           to 2021.

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MURALS

2023 Otay Mesa Fire Station 38, San Diego, CA. "Tranquil/Tranquila"

         The mural is a polyptych consisting of 8 panels, each 8 feet high and 2 feet wide. They are black and white   
         watercolor transferred to panels depicting the landscape of Otay Mesa.

2021 Warwick’s 125 year Anniversary Mural. La Jolla, CA.

         The mural covers the second floor of the Warwick's bookstore with portraits of 20 authors that have visited
         the store to sign books.

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JUROR

2025 Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Stories Imagined.

La Jolla, Riford Library.

 

AFFILIATIONS

2014 - present Time for Women Artists (TWA), San Diego, CA

2013 - present Art Posse: AKA Sisterhood of the Traveling Paints, San Diego, CA 

2005 - present San Diego Urban Sketchers, San Diego, CA 2005 – present

2004 - present The Athenaeum Music and Art Library, San Diego, CA

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PRESS

2024 SD Voyager, article https://sdvoyager.com/interview/conversations-with-lori-mitchell/

2024 Bold Journey, article https://boldjourney.com/news/meet-lori-mitchell/

2023 WHERE Women Create, Spring

2023 WHAT Women Create, Winter

2023 The Oddball Show, Podcast

2023 CanvasRebel, article https://canvasrebel.com/meet-lori-mitchell/

2021 CBS, Channel 8 news, TV coverage of the NOW exhibit with TWA (Time for Women Artists) at Oceanside
         Museum of Art

2020 Shoutout Socal, article https://shoutoutsocal.com/lori-mitchell-artist-art-instructor/ 

2018 SD Voyager, article http://sdvoyager.com/interview/meet-lori-mitchell/

2000 The Oprah Show, April​

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WEB INFORMATION

​To see more about Different Just Like Me and related projects go to: 
https://www.differentjustlikeme.com/​

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ART CLASSES

Check with the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, La Jolla, CA for my next class. 

https://www.ljathenaeum.org/art-classes

Classes run during Spring, Fall and Winter terms, via ZOOM.
Wednesday 9:30-12:30pm