OM.2024.089 - Laura Speer - USA

OM.2024.089 - Laura Speer - USA - The Stars of the Desert - collage on panel - 8 x 8 inches - Visual Poetry and Color

Title:The Stars of the Desert

Medium: Photograph, Watercolor, Ink and colored Pencil Collage and a variety of paper and foil.

This piece was inspired by a visit to an artist gallery and by a beloved photograph of my

husband sitting in front of a campfire that we were so grateful to have on this particular rainy

night camping in the Rocky Mountains.

Concept and Meaning is for each viewer to explore. The symbols can mean a host of things and

are different for every person. As I built each layer and placed each item in an order that made

sense to me at the time I was exploring the medium of collage, I was inspired by how each

mark, each color decision, each placement of paper would open other opportunities or ideas to

continue until the piece completed itself.

I was also inspired to wear comfortable shoes in order to let my brain move around freely.

This piece was great fun and a wonderful challenge and I look forward to many more challenges

to come.

Bio

Laura Speer is primarily a watercolor artist and a signature member of the New Mexico

Watercolor Society.

She has an MS degree in Adapted Physical Education and her career primarily allowed her to

work with students of all ages with a variety of disabilities.

She embraces the process of creative problem solving, necessary during her career, to provide

movement opportunities to children with disabilities and this creative approach continues to be

prevalent in her art. She is inspired by her travels and her home in the high desert and Rocky

Mountains and by her wonderful family.

Her work often explores landscapes, abstract, and abstracted still life. She enjoys blending

traditional techniques with modern themes and enjoys the wonderful process of watercolor

painting.