A lasting impression
There are people you encounter in life that leave an impression. That is true of my former boss and dear friend, Lou Stovall.
Lou was a silkscreen printmaker and entrepreneur and a big deal in the Washington art scene. He was on the Trustee’s Council at the National Gallery of Art and collaborated with names like Jacob Lawrence, Alexander Calder, and Sam Gilliam. His posters during the Civil Rights Movement are iconic. He elevated the medium of silkscreen to a fine art and introduced art collecting to countless Washingtonians, making his collaborations with big-name-artists more accessible than an original painting.
Lou hired me 20 years ago to be his driver, because he didn’t have a driver’s license. In the two years that I worked for him, I learned to rack prints, cut stencils, join frames, hang art, and cut mats. I revamped his pricing structure, co-wrote and edited process documents, and screened and interviewed my backfill.
Working for Lou was the most interesting job I have had.
Becoming Lou’s friend was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
He was the kind of person who believed in you, and would do anything he could to help.
Although small in stature, he had a commanding presence.
Lou died earlier this year, and as I reflect on his life and legacy, I am compiling a list of Top 10 things I learned from Lou, in life and in business.
Top 10 Career Insights:
“If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well.”
This applied to everything from handling art to making lunch.
Learning is a worthwhile pursuit.
I had never made a home-made pie and wanted to learn, so Lou sent me off for half a day (while still on the clock) to learn how to make pies from his friend, Mary Leonard.
“Measure twice, cut once.”
When cutting wood for frames, it was far less costly to measure a few times than cut the wrong length. Lou cheekily said in an interview when asked what happens if he makes a mistake: “I don’t make mistakes.” Slowing down and having care goes a long way to fruitful outcomes.
Know your Zone of Genius and outsource everything else.
Lou was a genius at making art. While he found a way to earn a living as an artist, he let me help shape his business processes and practices.
As a business owner, you need a mix of cash projects and sexy projects.
Lou balanced his sexy projects of commissions and collaborations with the needed cash projects of framing and hanging art for clients.
Find a way to be useful.
Lou originally learned silk screen printing in the basement of a hardware store when in high school. At Howard University, he made community posters for the Civil Rights Movement. He formed collaborations with his heroes. He found that many of his clients needed help hanging art in their homes or having Lou mat and frame their art. His ability to be useful is how he ran his business.
Building a career is inextricable from building relationships.
Lou could not have had the success he did without the teachers and mentors who influenced him, the peers that collaborated with him, and the clients who supported him.
Experiment & innovate.
Lou pioneered a new way of making art with silkscreen. He developed his own techniques for cutting stencils and liquifying the stencil film with a chemical so he could then stipple with a paintbrush directly onto the silk. With this method he was able to capture the spirit and detail of the original painting onto the prints.
Share your knowledge.
Over the decades, Lou mentored countless interns and art students in his studio. While his particular application of silkscreen might have died with him, his legacy lives on.
Create community.
Lou’s studio was akin to Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. People were dropping in all the time to visit. Community was always a value of Lou’s, and he thrived as an artist because of the community he surrounded himself with.
Top 10 Life Insights:
Delight in the little things.
Lou delighted in the little things, like making the world’s best peanut butter banana sandwich. Never would I think that mayonnaise and peanut butter go together, but it is true delight.
Make time for fun.
Lou always had time to dance, even in the middle of the work day.
See the dignity in everyone and treat them accordingly.
Lou always gave a generous tip to the delivery person and sent him off with a cold beverage. He never denied anyone asking for a handout.
Music sets the mood.
Different kinds of music put you in different kinds of moods, and different kind of moods produce different kinds of results. The studio was never without music, and it was usually opera or jazz. And it always fueled the creative process.
Paradox keeps things interesting.
Lou was full of paradox. The Washington Post article describing his life captured it well: “his presence is at once modest and commanding, tolerant and strict.” He was generous, and also aware when someone was asking too much of him.
You are always modeling.
Lou modeled the values of community, friendship, service, hard work, and excellence. All who knew him benefitted from what he modeled with his life.
Friendship is essential.
Lou loved his friends. He used to call me and say, “Hi Audrey, it’s your friend, Lou.” Though he had many friends, each of them knew they were special to him.
Listening to Al Green is the peak musical experience.
I have three words: “Let’s stay together.” He’s even better live.
See the beauty in the world around you.
Lou was always drawing inspiration from nature and music in his art.
“Sublime” is one of the best words in the English vocabulary.
When Lou called something sublime, there was no higher compliment.
Who in your life has made a lasting impression? How are you better off by knowing them?
Love,
Audrey
