I love the watercolors dance and play together on paper. You really can’t control the final outcome; it forces you to let go and be surprised, sort of like life.” Laura loves to capture the complexity of seemingly simple subjects by balancing the light and dark and using vibrant colors- the inside of a tomato, the curve of a stem, the multiple values of just one leaf.
Growing up in a military family, Laura spent her childhood in Texas, the Philippines, and Okinawa, Japan. She left Japan after high school to study in Texas. Pursuing an art degree was her dream, but didn’t seem like the “smart” choice at the time, so she explored various degree options until finally leaving school to enter the workforce in Atlanta, GA. After working in the corporate world for a few years, Laura returned to school to follow her dream of becoming a visual artist, graduating with a BFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Georgia, Athens in 1997. Often described as a colorist, Laura began her art journey as a figurative oil painter inspired by the works of Lucian Freud, Alice Neal, and Vincent van Gogh. She then moved to Santa Fe, NM to pursue her love of art, adventure, and nature. There she spent her days hiking, sketching, and exploring the landscape that enchanted so many including Georgia O’Keefe. The works of O’Keefe have been a constant and consistent inspiration to Laura’s work throughout her art career.
Moving to Asheville, NC in 2008, she now works from her home in West Asheville in the “tree house”, the upstairs attic turned studio. Hiking the mountains, biking by the river, shopping farmers markets, visiting galleries and museums, Laura’s current work is inspired and informed by the nature and beauty around her.
Laura is a member of the Watercolor Society of NC and California Watercolor Association. Her work has been exhibited in Santa Fe, NM, Oklahoma City, OK, Atlanta, GA, and Asheville, NC.
