Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laura Harper Lake. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Laura, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
A recent series I’ve been working on that means a great deal to me is called Vivid and Vulnerable Vessels. It’s a collection of mixed media paintings, using oils, acrylics, pencil, and spray paint.
It began as an exercise to merge abstract and representational forms on my canvas, without the constraints of striving for perfection. That’s something I’ve struggled with for a long time, especially in the age of posting work to social media. I wanted to relax my grip on the brush and to allow mistakes to live through the work historically. Little did I know it would grow into a deeper practice of allowing my own self to be accepting of who I am, and to let go of the physical paragon our culture deems worthy!
The human form is my favorite thing to paint because it can be used in so many ways to express emotions. It’s also something our society judges very easily. That judgement can deeply impact how we see ourselves, and that is something this series explores. At times we may be confident, much like the bold, vivid colors on my wood canvases.
In other moments we feel like the thin layer of iridescent paint I use to expose the natural wood grain beneath; vulnerable and hesitant. I am a pendulum, swinging between these two radically different states of being. However, I aim to see my reflection neutrally, as a human without the superficial constraints society and corporations have built; for my body is a vessel for all that I think, do, and create.
Laura, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am an interdisciplinary artist and designer based in Exeter, New Hampshire who has been creatively driven my whole life.
I graduated from Chester College of New England with a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art in 2007 and work under the moniker Artful Harper Studios. My mediums including oil paint, watercolor, printmaking, and digital art, however in the past year mixed media has been a big focus, as I open up to more play and experimentation to convey conceptual works. Along with creating art, I do work with select clients on design and illustration projects when there is cohesion between my style and their brand.
The human form is my primary subject matter, as it is the perfect vehicle for communicating emotions and the complexities of the human condition. I also like to play with the concept of environment in connection to the human form, such as in underwater or in outer space. Recent works include abstracted environments as well, testing the bounds of positive and negative space between representational and abstract.
In addition to art and design, I co-host the podcast Creative Guts, which is also a nonprofit, that interviews creatives from all disciplines and explores the heart of creativity in New Hampshire and beyond. Connecting and collaborating with other makers is so fulfilling and helps motivate my own personal growth.
In your view, what can society do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Three things come to mind:
The first is to simply recognize how much of the world around us was built by artists and creatives. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis data, in 2020, arts and culture added $876.7 billion to the U.S. GDP, as well as 4.6 million arts and cultural jobs. So much of the arts touches our daily lives and yet it is vastly under-appreciated.
Aside from all the ways we consume art, like what we wear, watch, read, the decisions we make on what products to buy, and so on, traditional art and public art simply makes life better! Public art increases the vibrancy of communities, which increases economic growth, cultural understanding, and brings people together.
Secondly, society can support artists by buying art! Another misconception I sense is that “if you enjoy making art, why should you be paid to do it?”. With other professions, their love for the job is not a consideration when deciding is the service is worth paying for. When you look at a piece of artwork, perhaps you can estimate the time put into the piece and the amount of materials used. What you don’t see is the length of time they spent practicing and developing their skills, and in some cases, the amount of money they spent on an education to further develop. It also doesn’t show what they have moved through emotionally in order to create that work.
The biggest way to ensure artists continue to make art is to buy their work. It enhances your life, by having art on your walls (or body) and makes their creative practice sustainable.
Lastly, I would love to see a shift in our education system to stop devaluing the arts. This one ties in with my first point. Schools need to ensure kids have access to making and learning about the arts. Not only is it important to have artists in the creative economy, helping to build a more vibrant world, but art in itself is a vital part of being a human. It’s an avenue for self-expression, free speech, and joy. The importance of art in child development is critical, assisting with cognitive development, motor skills, decision making, inventiveness, cultural awareness, and more! Whether a child pursues a creative job or creates as a hobby, art will enhance their life.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
What I wish I could impart to non-creatives is that anyone can be creative, and being “good at it” isn’t the point of art. One college professor would say to my class often, “It’s the process, not the product”, and I think about that all the time.
When I attend public events with my work, the two comments I get most often are: “You are so talented” and “Wow, I couldn’t draw a stick figure”. I understand these come from a kind place but it feels a little reductive. I don’t consider myself talented. I am hard working, practicing constantly. I experiment, I study, and I play to develop my skills. I stress, I cry, I yell in frustration as well during this, because I am human and do worry about the end results, especially as an artist who does enjoy selling her work. However, the more I worry about the end result, the harder the process becomes and the less connected I am to my own art.
Art is all about self-expression and anyone can do that. If you want to be able to communicate through art, you can learn and develop skills through classes, books, videos online, etc. Or you can just put your feelings out there on the page or canvas and learn through experimentation.
If you make art, you are an artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.artfulharperstudios.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/artfulharperstudios/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArtfulHarperStudios/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lauraharper13/
- Twitter: NA
- Other: Shop: https://artfulharperstudios.bigcartel.com/ Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/artfulharperstudios TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artfulharperstudios
Image Credits
All images were taken by me, Laura Harper Lake.