Lorabeth “LB” P. Brdlik, 46, St. Cloud

July 29, 1968 – June 21, 2015

Lorabeth “LB” P. Brdlik, age 46, died June 21, 2015 peacefully at her home in St. Cloud, MN of metastatic breast cancer.

A service to celebrate her life well-lived will take place at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4310 County Rd 137, St. Cloud, MN 56301 on June 26, 2015 at 11:00 AM, visitation 10:00– 11:00 AM. Reception will follow immediately after the service. Funeral arrangements were made by Benson Funeral Home, St. Cloud, MN.

She was born on July 29, 1968 in Chicago, Illinois. She also lived in Minneapolis, MN, St. Paul, MN, Prescott, WI, Hurtle, WI and Oracle, AZ. Survivors include her life partner Laurie “Chet” Tschetter of St. Cloud, Minnesota, Uncle Ed Brdlik and Aunt Eileen Brdlik of Prescott, WI, cousins Cheryl and Adam Felitz of Minneapolis, MN and many, many friends.

Lorabeth graduated from Prescott high school in Prescott, WI and from Dakota County Technical College where she was the president of the student senate. She completed art residencies at Llotja, Barcelona, Spain; Accademia dell’ Arte, Florence, Italy; School of Visual Art, New York, New York and Atelier, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Known as the artist “Vigee Blue “ Lorabeth was an award winning master painter of classical art. Her pieces have been exhibited in shows throughout the Twin Cities including solo shows at the Basilica of St. Mary and Yang Yang Gallery - St. Paul, Minnesota and group shows at Altered Esthetics, the Soo gallery and others. Vigee Blue often painted portraits of celebrities who were visiting the Twin Cities (e.g. Steve Martin, Hillary Clinton, Temple Grandin, Seimone Augustus, Tim Gunn, Brandi Carlisle, Sasha and Malia Obama) and gifted her work to them. Her privately commissioned works were sold to people throughout the United States. She won the Pride Best of Show award in 2013 and the Ron Merchant award in 2010. In 2014 she had an invited exhibit at Art Prize in Grand Rapids, Michigan of a life size piece entitled “All Falling.” This enormous piece of work was designed to bring attention to endangered species throughout the world.

Lorabeth was also a teaching artist. She worked at Partnership Resources, Inc. where she taught artists with disabilities. In 2010 she organized a show at the Soo Gallery for artists who painted self-portraits. She was the founder of “ArtCats” an innovative collaborative art program supporting artists with disabilities to create prints that were put onto cards and sold to the public. Lorabeth also held jobs at Patterson Dental, Deluxe Corporation and 3M as a graphic designer.

Lorabeth was a world traveler and loved nothing more than to spontaneously hit the road solo or with friends. She traveled to Spain, Italy, St. Lucia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, France, England, Netherlands, Mexico and extensively throughout the United States. She also loved the ocean, animals, Halloween, wearing costumes, ALL kinds of music, nature, surprising others with kindness, sending care packages and laughing. In 2012 LoraBeth gave her life to Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior.

Her friends and family will remember her as a positive, futuristic, humanistic, witty, spiritual and feisty person who radiated energy with a infectious smile and possibility-focused attitude.

A “Vigee Blue” restricted memorial fund has been established through True Friends to support artist programs for people with disabilities and health conditions. Memorial donations can be sent to the True Friends Vigee Blue artist fund: 10509 108th St NW, Annandale, MN 55302.