Laura Garwood (b. 1984)

Laura Garwood was born In Texas and spent her childhood in Houston, where she now currently resides. Laura recalls an early fascination with not only artwork itself, but also the lives of the artists that shaped their work, depicted in the Mike Venezia’s picture books. In conjunction with enrolling in the Religious Studies and Literature Program at Princeton University, Laura took several Studio art classes, notably influenced and encouraged by Artist/Professor, Eve Aschhiem. Post College, Laura moved to New York City to resume studio art courses at Hunter College, completing a BA in studio arts, studying under Laura Sue King, Constance de Jong, and Drew Beattie. The vibrancy and energy of New York City’s art life had a lasting impact on Laura’s understanding of contemporary Art. Shortly thereafter, Laura moved back to Houston and began working from her studio at home; experimenting with strips of canvas and attaching these pieces repeatedly across a traditional stretched canvas; and later ripping them away to reveal the original canvas in a process of creative destruction through the repetition of adding and removal practice. Art can be an obsessive playing around with materials and improving one’s mastery over these personally chosen materials. In process art, Laura sees qualities of the sublime, a kind of beauty that juxtaposes rough edges, scrapes and/or paint marks along with the artist’s intention to harmonize a work of Art through color or texture. In addition to painting, ripping, and stapling Laura has earned a master’s degree in counselling and worked part-time at Santa Maria, Texas’ largest multi-site residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment center for women. The art process can be an escape and healing from the chatter of the mind. It is an entrance into the universal. If one finds the space and energy to experiment with chosen materials they will find the artist within.

Artist Statement

Looking at art can be meditative, you are meditating on an abstract or expressive image, representing the sublime. My hope is that my work, with its indicators of process and human touch reflect the effort to continually re-define and evolve what is beautiful.

Laura Garwood

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