Introducing artist Laura Parker and her immersive art inspired by the natural world

Laura Parker is a self-taught artist and painter, based in South West London. Laura is inspired by the natural world, and her works range from expressive abstracts to dramatic underwater views, and from expansive landscapes to intimate still life.

Laura is one of a small group of artists who regularly works with BobCat Gallery, a small scale gallery specialising in original art at affordable prices. Here we chat with her about her journey so far…

Tell us more about your journey into the art world

I’ve been steeped in art all my life – as a kid, I wasn’t dragged round galleries and museums… I was dragged OUT of them! So it was a natural progression after school to go to Paris and Rome, for a year each, to study history of art and architecture there. My time in Rome was the most influential – to have so many centuries and layers of art to explore and soak up all in one city was amazing.

Then, in my 40s, I went to Kingston University to do a BA in History of Art and Architecture, and History of Ideas, graduating in 1997. So for many years, art was something I loved and studied but it never occurred to me to try to create my own work. 

At fifty, I began to explore the art of painting for myself. I had no teacher, I attended no lessons, but I had such a strong foundation with all the art and architecture I had studied and been immersed in, that I began to trust my own way of looking or rather, to quote John Berger, my own ‘way of seeing’.

I began by painting portraits and the human figure. I explored landscape painting, going outside to paint ‘en plein air’, often waking at 4am to capture the sun rising over the River Thames. I painted still life to further my exploration of colour – I particularly love capturing distorted reflections in glass and metal objects, or instilling a still life with a contemporary feel by using bold crops and vivid colours, to create dynamic and engaging works.

I created a series of paintings of the underwater world, based on my experiences as a scuba diver, which developed an increasingly abstract quality. Undersea wrecks are haunting places, where strange spectral shapes loom up out of the gloom and, in those deep waters, colour fades away and light reflects and refracts in unexpected ways.

In recent years my work has shifted towards expressive abstracts but, nonetheless, the natural world, in particular water (above it, below it, and reflections in it), is a constant inspiration and stimulus, and now I am combining all these elements in a series of abstracted landscapes. These new works blur the lines between abstraction and the natural world, capturing a moment in time, and evoking a place that is everywhere and nowhere all at once.

How would you describe your signature style and technique?

I don’t know if I have a ‘signature style’ exactly, and my technique has evolved through saying to myself “I wonder what happens if I try this…”

Recent works are often mixed-media, including acrylic paint, collage, pen, and pencil. I scrape off and add layers to obscure, reveal and refine the composition – my whole approach is a continuous addition and subtraction to build up a rich history on the surface, expressing an organic sense of flow and movement.

Experimenting and taking risks are all part of the process of painting that thrills me, and where I can discover surprising, unexpected imagery as I try to communicate my visual, emotional, and sensory experiences.

I use tools that are perhaps not thought of as usual for a painter – rather than a brush, I’ll move paint with a silicone scraper or even with a plasterer’s trowel as, with these tools, I can’t fully control the marks and that’s often when the magic happens! Oh, and when something radical needs to be done then out comes the electric sander or a chisel to disrupt the surface.

I delve into uncharted territory with each work, and figure it out as I go. For me, making art is exciting, scary, frustrating, addictive, rewarding, and an utterly indispensable part of my life.

Can you tell us about your latest work? Where did you find inspiration and what is the story behind it?

My most recent works are a return to the landscape, but are a shift away from the representational to more expressive, evocative and personal landscapes which blur the lines between abstraction and the natural world.

I start intuitively, with no fixed intention in mind, building up the layers and adjusting the composition as I work. I’m not thinking ‘landscape’ at this stage, but at some point the artwork itself starts giving me clues and I begin to ‘find’ a landscape emerging in the painting.

Taking risks, perhaps even radically adjusting the whole composition, I let my imagination take flight, creating a watery world that is somewhere on the borders of reality.

These paintings call for viewer participation as much as my own in creating a ‘story’ to allow us all to explore these imagined scenes. Can I perhaps reveal the smell, taste, feel and sound of water or wind-blown trees, or elicit a sigh at the warm glow of a setting sun? Can I create a work that the viewer might respond to almost like uncovering a memory or dream?

Are there any exhibitions or events you are planning in near future?

I have two group shows on the horizon with BobCat Gallery, including a virtual exhibition called ‘100 x 100’, featuring 100 works, each priced at £100, and I am currently creating new works specifically for this show. This online gallery will be live throughout April.

In mid-May, BobCat Gallery is hosting ‘Wunderkammer’ at 54 The Gallery in Shepherd Market – it promises to be truly wonderful, and I’m looking forward to participating!

Those are the exhibitions that I know I will taking part in, but there are others where I’m currently making a submission and keeping my fingers crossed that I might be selected, including the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition.

I also exhibit regularly with ArtCan, an international non-profit arts organisation which supports member artists with an programme of strong and vibrant collaborative art exhibitions and events.

Finally, I’ve recently created a number of postcard-sized artworks to be auctioned for charity. I’ve donated four works to ‘Art on a Postcard’ for their auction supporting the Hepatitis C Trust (which ends on 12th March), and one painting to the secret auction ‘Sophie’s Postcard’ to be held in late June in support of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. I sincerely hope these all help to raise money for their respective charities.

What is the best advice you’ve been given as an artist?

Oh that’s easy! Take risks, experiment, don’t be afraid of ‘mistakes’ and accidents – they are often the spark that leads to exciting new ideas. Don’t be afraid of taking flight into new creative territories – dive in, it might be a thrilling ride! Be adventurous, have fun!

And something that might seem obvious, but is often not really thought about – consider the viewer. Their participation while looking at a work involves their imagination, interest and memories, and it is the viewer who actually ‘finishes’ your artwork as they gaze at it and explore its depths.

For more information please visit lauraparkerart.com

Follow Laura on Instagram: @lauraparker_uk

READ ANOTHER ARTIST’S STORY HERE.