Inspired by Tibetan monk and Navajo cultures the artist, Laneve Thompkins-Hensel has done many commissioned pieces throughout Osceola County, including pet portraits and scenic Florida landscapes created from a remarkable material, Sand. Both permanent and self-mixed material, all her own. Vibrant pigments and strikingly realistic designs created from sand compose her one-of-a-kind works of art.
She is a locally born artist from Narcoossee, FL, a 7th generation Florida Cracker double dipped on her mom’s and dad’s side. She has recently gifted two of her works, a Habitat Sand Painting, later to be considered Game Fishing Series created by her in 2003 and a SANDesign Artistry sculpture, which you can spot in the Lakefront habitat portion within the Osceola County Welcome Center & History Museum.
Can you spot which Lakefront creature is made entirely of sand?
She worked for SeaWorld utilizing her unique artistic skill in charge of 3-D sand art and large-scale sculptures on-site. As a working artist for over 17 years, she showcased her talent for capturing wildlife, family pets, and natural world of scenic Florida. Having grown up in Narcoossee and St. Cloud area, she was no stranger to the outdoors and beauty of her surroundings. Others who she attended St. Cloud High School with, such as Ratso Pennington, also later shared their talents with the Osceola County Historical Society. Specifically, Pennington crafted the taxidermy mounts within the museum. See how one of Ratso’s masterful mounts inspired one of her paintings “Buck Fever”.
The Osceola County Historical Society is honored to house two of the artist’s unique artworks on permanent display for the community to enjoy.
