We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laura Dargan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laura below.

Alright, Laura thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I always had an interest in painting and drawing from an early age but that was never something I thought could be a career. As I entered college, I decided that I wanted to pursue a path in medicine. Perhaps become a surgeon of some sort. Three years in I lost interest in that path. I finished college ad I immediately got a job woking for a custom home builder. A few jobs later, I decided I needed to really figure out what I wanted to do with my life. To keep myself busy while looking for the right job, I picked up painting again. It was then that I realized that painting was what I was missing. After diving in and reacquainting myself with technique and developing my own style I officially started my career as an artist.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My work is generally focused on non-representational, colorful depictions of movement and energy. I strive to create a visual energy that the viewer can interpret in their own way. I think one thing that sets me apart from others is my range. No two pieces are alike and I am constantly growing and experimenting. In addition, my abstract work is heavily informed by my figurative practice and vice versa. I meet every week with a model and paint the human form. Learning and practicing how to create movement and depth with simple gestures has very much influenced my abstract work.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Having someone (especially a stranger) resonate with my work is the most rewarding part of being an artist. From concept to finished painting, there is a lot that goes into executing a piece of work. Not only is it a lot of work but showing the work puts you in a vulnerable place. There is nothing better than someone having a visceral reaction to my work.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

As I was just starting to pursue my artistic career, I simultaneously owned an art supply shop. The front half of the store was retail and the back half was studio and workshop space. I was able to paint during business hours when possible but most of my time was focused towards maintaining the shop. It came to a point where I needed to make a decision on what was most important. Spending all of my time and money on a retail business or channeling all of that energy into my career as an artist. Eventually, I closed the shop and continued on with my art. It was a bittersweet pivot in my career but one that was necessary. and I will forever be grateful for the experience and the connections that I made as an art supply shop owner.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lauradargan.com
• Instagram: @lauramdargan.studio

Image Credits
The first image was taken by Margaret Wright @margaret.wright. All other images were taken by me.