She would draw on everything – the furniture, the walls, and even her school books. This caused her no small amount of trouble with her parents, but they were understanding and enrolled her in art classes. Her mother was especially compassionate about the need to doodle, since she herself was an artist in her spare time. Laura's maternal grandparents were also artists (painters) in their early adu
lthood, and had even met each other at an art school in the late 1940's. During her adolescence she went to a school that offered ceramics and photography in addition to traditional art classes. She still remembers making a pinhole camera out of an oatmeal box and learning about the science behind the art of taking photographs. Art was her favorite subject and most important hobby. She also joined the art club in middle school to spend more time immersed in art. During high school she took oil painting as an elective for several years. Her art teacher was a great source of inspiration and hope. She encouraged Laura to recognize her natural talent at color mixing. High school went by quickly while she spent her time lost in painting. It made her feel alive and vibrant, and at the same time calm and at peace with the world. During her senior year of high-school, she won the Senior Acedemic Award in Art. Her passion ran dry after high school, and she stopped painting with the same frequency. In 2007 she decided to get into the digital art scene, and began an associate’s degree program for graphic design, which culminated with graduating with the degree. Also, she got back into photography, took some classes in it, and bought her first SLR camera. As much as she loved these new pursuits, still felt like something was missing. In 2012, her mother started painting again after a hiatus, and convinced Laura to attend a painting class with her. Laura was very reluctant to go, but she says that this class turned out to be the best thing to happen to her in years. She felt deeply inspired while being surrounded by wonderful, creative people. Something clicked that night, and she knew that she must start painting again. It was that missing link in which she had been searching for quite some time. Since that night, she took several painting classes during 2012 and 2013. In 2014 she decided to go back to college to pursue a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, concentrated in painting. Laura often mentions that of all the lessons art has taught her, one of the best is its therapeutic power. She has attained a higher level of peace, energy and life through art. Art is a never ending process of learning, sometimes challenging, but nevertheless a process she thoroughly enjoys. Laura will be launching her artist website in the fall of 2016, and graduating with her bachelors degree in Fine Arts in the fall of 2017.
