Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Bell.
Hi Laura, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a visual artist. I grew up in Seattle and attended The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, where I studied art and art history. At Evergreen, I was introduced to new mediums, new ideas, and found a love for printmaking and process oriented art. With the encouragement and support from my printmaking professor, Peter Ramsey, I spent a semester interning for an artist and printmaker, Elizabeth Tapper in Seattle. Working at her printmaking studio was an opportunity for me to see how an one could make a life in the arts. From her, I learned so much about work ethic, attention to detail, and artistic integrity. She created intaglio print editions for a variety of artists and working in her studio, I met a wide variety of artists and was exposed to a range of technical approaches and concepts. Peter Ramsey also sponsored me for an independent study abroad in Perugia, Italy for 6 months. He connected me with two artists there who I worked with, while I studied and traveled around Italy. I spent a lot of time traveling on my own, collecting research, and building a small body of work in a private printmaking studio just outside of Perugia. Those six months were a life-changing experience and were instrumental in building my confidence, resilience, and sense of who I wanted to be as an artist.
I attended graduate school at the Tyler School of Art, Temple University in Philadelphia. I got my MFA and studied drawing, painting, and printmaking. I was also able to spend a summer semester at the Temple University Rome campus. Graduate school was the place where I became truly committed to being an artist and was exposed to an incredible range of new ideas and ways of thinking about both art and the world.
I moved to Atlanta after graduate school and have lived here ever since. Travel has been important to me and my family, and we try to visit new places whenever possible. I also developed and led a study abroad program to Spain for students at GSU, which has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
I live in the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta, with my husband, daughter, 2 dogs, a cat, and 10 chickens.
I also have an art studio at Legacy Park in Decatur and my work is represented by Whitespace Gallery in Atlanta. I am also a Professor of Art at Perimeter College, GSU.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I have always been committed to my studio practice and making art.
There have been many times in my adult life where finding time and energy were difficult, but my creative activity has remained a constant. I find that even if I am not actively in my studio working, I am making notes, reading, sketching, and thinking about what I will work on when I return to my studio.
My art practice is where I can explore process and ideas, but also just experiment and play.
I prioritize and protect my studio time whenever possible.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The natural world has always been a starting point for me and from nature I can always find something new to look at or think about or learn. My creative work delves into this relationship from the vantage of memory, emotion, and observation. As a homeowner and city dweller, much of my subject matter is focused on urban flora and fauna that I have direct experiences and contact with. My neighborhood and the expansion of urban neighborhoods like mine, have directly impacted the ecosystem, and created changes in the behaviors, patterns, and habitats of our urban wildlife.
Ultimately, my work is about observation and reflection. In paying attention to the natural world around us, we are invited to appreciate the beauty, complexity, and variety of our native plants and animals. We can also reflect on the ways that our behavior (individually and collectively) has an impact on the world around us. There is solace to be found in the persistence of nature and in recognizing the inextricable ties that physically unite humans with the living world.
My process of working is organic. I typically work slowly, in a way that is often fussy and detailed and methodical. This practice of slow exploration is how new ideas and new work are generated. I don’t usually have lightning bolt realizations. Instead, my work and intentions usually unfold and reveal themselves slowly. Drawing from observation is often a way that I begin to work. It takes the pressure off being creative and coming up with a new idea. I can just look at the object in front of me and really think about it in terms of structure, shape, color, etc. That is often when new ideas begin to take shape. I can start riffing off what exists, exploring modifications, distortions, and additions, or just go in another direction altogether.
I work in a variety of media from drawing and painting, to sculpture and textiles, to photographic processes and installation work. Ultimately, I use the medium and techniques that best suit my concept and ideas at that given time.
In addition to being an active studio artist, I am also a faculty member in the Fine Art Department at Perimeter College, GSU. I love being connected to a younger generation and learning how they see the world, hearing their ideas, and being introduced to music, phrases, fashion, or artists I might not otherwise encounter. Additionally, working with my students to build their technical abilities and develop their own unique artistic voices, is enriching and rewarding.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I believe that taking risks is essential to growth and personal development. There are many kinds of risks, both large and small. I have found that the things that caused discomfort: trying out a new technique in my artwork, traveling abroad alone, moving across the country for graduate school, applying for creative opportunities, and displaying my work, are examples of risks that have resulted in personal and professional growth. Stepping out of my comfort zone can sometimes be painful, frustrating, or even terrifying, but ultimately it is important and empowering.
While I am not a natural risk taker, curiosity, bravery, and a strong work ethic are values I consider essential. They are each inextricably tied to taking risks and doing things that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable. I work to not only practice these values myself but also encourage the same from my students.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laurabellstudio.com/
- Instagram: @laurabellstudio
Image Credits
Matt Haffner (portrait credit)
