Renaissance man
State employee shares joy of painting, music for charity
Jeffery Lahr is no stranger to lending his considerable artistic talents to a good cause.
The Indiana Office of Technology LAN administrator is an avid painter who headlined a special Indiana State Employees' Community Campaign (SECC) event last year, which was so much fun he agreed to do something similar for Public Service Recognition Week in May. Last month, he once again put paintbrush to canvas for a program that will benefit people throughout the Hoosier State.
Lahr is more than happy to share his talents in the name of helping others.
"No matter who we are or where we come from, we can always come together in love and charity," said Lahr, who noted that it’s his own life experiences during times in which he was less fortunate that have helped motivate him to find ways to help others in need.
“First and foremost, as a Christian, it’s what I’m meant to do,” said Lahr of his mission to give back whenever he can. “However, I have also been on the receiving end. A long time ago, before moving to Indiana, I lived in Green Bay, Wisconsin and was having a rough time of things… partly because of my own poor choices, but also some bad luck/bad breaks as well. I was homeless for a time and partook in the local food pantry, stayed in the local homeless shelter for a time, and partook in the free meals provided by that homeless shelter. I know what it’s like to go without, but also how a little faith, a helping hand, and someone who believes in you can truly turn your life around.”
The joy of painting
These days, Jeffery’s happiest place often is among the “happy little trees” adorning the landscapes that, with a few deft brush strokes, spring from the imagination onto a blank canvas. Sharing that talent has been a way for Lahr to spread the sort of joy that only comes from creating something entirely of one’s own making.
In a way, he’s the teacher and quite literally anyone can be the student in much the same way TV painting programs of the past married an affable artist with an inquisitive audience.
Lahr, a Danville resident who has worked with IOT for almost seven years, has had plenty of time to brush up on his craft, which is one of several hobbies he enjoys outside of his career.
“I have been painting since high school where I began with watercolor, then graduated to acrylic, then to oils,” he said. “I love painting for the sheer joy of creating something fun, colorful, and sometimes even beautiful!”
The married father of two now-adult children began painting more than 20 years ago, but his love for this particular style of art grew when he began dabbling in oil painting approximately five years ago. His inspiration for pouring his heart and soul onto blank canvasses came from the renowned and revered Bob Ross as well as that pop cultural icon’s predecessor.
"I discovered my love for painting by watching the predecessor and mentor of the great Bob Ross – a fun, friendly, German fellow by the name of Bill Alexander," Lahr said. "He was the first painting show I watched on PBS prior to Bob Ross inheriting that spot. Then, I just learned and practiced by watching Bob Ross on his ‘Joy of Painting’ shows."
Lahr is also an accomplished, self-taught musician.
“I am a drummer first, but also taught myself guitar and piano/keyboard,” Jeffery said. “I also sing and record/produce my own music.”
Lahr said an original holiday song and an instrumental work are available for purchase on Apple’s iTunes and Amazon.com. You can find them by searching for “Jeffery Lahr.”
Music is a family affair for the Lahrs as Jeffery’s wife Casie, a registered nurse for IU Home Hospice, uses her talents to bring happiness to others as well.
“She was featured last year on IU’s website as IU’s “singing nurse” because she has been known to sing for her patients and bring smiles to their faces even in their darkest moments,” Jeffery said.
Back to the drawing board
After the extremely positive reception of Jeff’s previous presentations, he was contacted by the Indiana State Personnel Department for a follow-up event meant to benefit the 2020 Indiana SECC. This year’s theme is “It Starts WithIN” and seeks to highlight state agencies and employees who have been integral in the Hoosier State’s ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
With that in mind, Lahr came up with a sketch he said he felt would represent unity and the need to help one another in times of crisis. He finished the piece in a live broadcast from his at-home art studio, during which state employees who contributed to the Indianapolis Urban League – the Week 1 SECC’s chosen charity from the sponsoring Indiana Department of Health – could watch and paint along.
It was a live demonstration of Lahr’s creative process at work that benefited an important cause.
“Most of my ideas just come off the top of my head,” remarked Jeffery. “Bob Ross used to say, ‘All you need to paint are a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind.’ That pretty much says it all.”
Anyone planning to watch the archived broadcast, which can be viewed on the State of Indiana Employee's YouTube channel, will best be able to emulate Jeff's work by getting together a palette of basic colors - black, white, red, blue, green, and yellow. Other colors can be produced by mixing the existing hues.
Viewers needn’t be a Monet, a Munch, or even a Pollock to enjoy the program, either, as Jeff's tutorial allows armchair artists to put their own spin on a masterpiece that can proudly be displayed at home. As the late Ross was fond of saying, "happy accidents" at the easel are bound to happen, allowing one's own creativity to flow into the piece.
More than anything, the latest "Lunch and Canvas" was all about fun.
"First and foremost, I hope [viewers] have fun," said Lahr prior to the event. "Second, I hope they recognize that even in the midst of a pandemic, chaos, and uncertainty, we’ve still been given the tools and have had the people placed in our lives that can give us a reprieve from all the ugliness and still make something beautiful.”
Flight plan
What’s next for Jeffery Lahr? Well, you might say “the sky’s the limit.”
Jeffery has been taking flying lessons for the last year and a half. If that surprises you, his reasons for taking to the skies probably won’t.
“My ultimate goal in wanting to learn to fly is to provide charity flights for terminally-ill patients and/or their families to treatment locations… to gather with their family whom they may not be able to afford to see otherwise,” Lahr said. “Also, potentially flying victims of child/domestic abuse to their places of safety to begin their new lives.”
Jeff is quickly becoming an accomplished pilot having completed his first solo sojourn aloft last May and his fledgling cross-country flight (with an instructor aboard) only weeks ago. He hopes to continue making this dream a reality and his placed his confidence once again in his faith.
With those wings beside him, it appears Jeffery Lahr is cleared for take-off. But whether he’s painting blue skies or passing through them, Jeff is always down to earth, and it’s here where he hopes to continue spreading joy whenever and however he can.
“We can give back and be someone else’s blessings even in times of darkness," he said. "No matter who we are or where we come from, we can always come together in love and charity."
See more of Jeffery Lahr’s work at Art by Lahr on Facebook.
Story by Brent Brown, Indiana State Personnel Department