We were lucky to catch up with Laura Parker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Laura , appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

The practice of becoming an artisan! We do not become instant artisans. It is not possible. To truly master a craft of any kind it takes learning, practice, failures, successes, and then repeat. As a visual mixed media artist today I am branching out into fiber arts. I know little about this medium so I am excited to be a “beginner”. I begin again and learn new things which is the beauty of truly learning and growing as an artist. I love to learn. I love to experiment and practice.

For me, I see everything in abstract form. I love representational artists and respect them tremendously but I will never be one. My vision comes from form, shape, and working on the grid. This sets up my compositions. Composition potential is everywhere! I confess I am an iPhone camera fanatic. I use the camera to capture images in nature and deep into the city where I find old buildings, warehouses, graffitti, and more. Sometimes I sketch these ideas out after photographing. Other times I go straight to the canvas, paper, or wood with the composition set up in my mind. It is always a challenge to work on a piece and rarely does it come out the way I plan. Decisions must be made to make the composition structure solid and in keeping with how the eye moves on the piece. This means sometimes giving up parts of the piece that I love. Rarely do I work quickly on a piece. I will have many passes of paint and mixed media materials before each piece is completed. This is the practice of how I create. It may take weeks, months, or sometimes years before many pieces are finished.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have lived my life as an artist since early childhood. I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA during many significant events, resulting in extreme social changes and shifts. The civil rights movement, women’ rights movement, education and employment possibilities for women, the arrival of digital and endless possibilities, and international business expansion. Change was a constant and continues to be the same.

I am not a degreed artist. My college and university studies are in Communications and Psychology. I came out of the womb singing and learning songs. For hours I would listen and sing to each song. I would listen to the notes and memorize the melodies. I had a piano teacher from ages 9-15 and then picked up an acoustic guitar. That’s when I started writing melodies and lyrics. First, I had to learn chords on the guitar, which was not as easy I had assumed. I hung out with guitar players and they would teach me. I was given the gift of having amazing players as teachers. That trend has continued throughout my artist life. The education I have received from master artisans throughout the years is invaluable, and it has not been in a formal classroom!. I learned from the classroom of life! I have learned by watching these master artisans. I think to myself, “If I am going to learn how to do this craft, I need to learn from the best of the best”.
How they put up with me is beyond me.
I mean that in a humorous and endearing way. I could rarely sit still or sit down for long periods of time. It’s my wiring! Perhaps this is why I have spent a lifetime exploring different creative disciplines; music, visual art, and creative writing.

Digital music production came in with a boom in the 1980’s. Prior to digital recording, we recorded live in the studio and direct to tape. If you were not good at getting live recording takes you would not be asked to work in the studio.
Now, we could technically be called performance artists of sorts. Digital arts are a whole other world of their own right.
When recording shifted to digital I had an “Aha” moment and realized I was not designed to be a computer guru.

I made the decision to change directions. I started a family and had two daughters. I actually thought I would be able to record my songs at home on a 4-track while raising my babies. Anyone who has had children knows this is hilarious!
We learn when we learn!
My lessons in life rarely have come easily or predictably. Perhaps that is the hidden silver lining of life? It is the new lessons we are constantly learning from the mistakes and messes that we have made.
I continue to learn and grow each day of my life no matter what age I am!

I had always been fascinated by the modern expressionist artists out of New York. Their art spoke to me on a deep level. I connected with this art and decided that’s what I wanted to learn how to do. I asked myself, “How can I learn to be a modern painter”?
My teachers appeared right on time. Master artisans of their craft. These are my mentors, my heroes, and the people I most want to be like. The talented artists I have met and learned from astounds me. Remember, I was not taught in a formal classroom.

For the past 23+ years I have focused on learning how to express my creative vision making 2-D mixed media designs on paper, canvas, wood, and glass.

Contemporary art is a particular kind of force. Some love it, some like some of it, and some cannot stand it.
I have learned the principals of the craft from the best.
Now, I have found my own mark making and design ideas. I continue to learn each day as a visual artist.
It is a continual challenge, a puzzle. a love and sometimes hate relationship when starting a new series or piece, finding the need to change directions, using different mediums, adding new ideas and elements.

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

Definitely. Pivot is a nice way of saying that life happens when we are making plans! I raised my two daughters on my own for a very long time. I did not see this coming, but it is my story.
I have worked as a psychotherapist in clinical practice for 25+ years, to date.
I returned to pursue a graduate program in Psychology when I realized I would need to be the sole provider.
My creative career direction had to change at this time.
I did not let this stop me from continuing my creative interests and passions. I just had to shift my way of doing things.
Today I see two strong young women, my daughters. They inspire me, amaze me, and teach me about unconditional love.
I also know myself and what I stand for. I am authentic, outspoken, real, and no longer invested in talking about my accomplishments. It can be quite freeing to no longer have to prove oneself!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Another change in my art practice and business has happened since the pandemic. I started Abstract Road prior to 2020 and was taking my visual 2D art to hand woven rugs out of Kathmandu, Nepal. All was going great! Press supporting the business was great and my vision to support this incredible art form was gaining momentum. Then came the pandemic.
All borders shut down and shipping halted from overseas.
My rug business pretty much stopped overnight.

So we learn to reinvent ourselves in these situations, or not.
I choose to continue on the creative journey and redefine my artist vision. I am incorporating textiles into the mixed media pieces I do and learning how to sew with the machine and hand stitching. The new website is in development and a new logo is done. I begin again!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lpartandtextile.com

Image Credits
None noted with these.