The Bowes Museum Blog

What made you decide to participate in the Bouts Art Competition?

It was a good opportunity to perhaps be exhibited at the Bowes Museum and I enjoyed creating my submission, so it was worth taking part in the competition. I found the themes quite intriguing, it challenged me to create a piece based on topics that inspire me but in a more imaginative way. A lot of my artwork is linked to nature, especially the interaction between nature and mankind. When linked to the imagined landscapes theme, I imagined what the world may look like in the future following climate change predictions. My response to the theme shows what London could look like at ‘low tide’ if the sea level rises as it is predicted to.

Tell us about your passion for art – What motivates you to create art?

The main motivation for me is the endless possibilities of artwork that I could create and how much I enjoy drawing. The ideas of what I could draw often through what I see, especially in nature, inspire me to create new work. Drawing landscapes and plants outside is a source of inspiration. I find it to be a new way of seeing things; I observe details in subjects which I would not have noticed such as small patterns or symmetry. Through this, I have gained an appreciation for the world; art has made it easier to see the beauty anywhere. As well as new ideas, new techniques or experimentation make creating art an incredibly exciting and varied process.

Do you see yourself doing this for the long term?

My aim is to have a career which involves actively creating artworks either in fine art or design. I would be incredibly lucky to have a career out of my passion for drawing.

Do you have a favourite artist and how have they influenced your practice?

I have several artists that I admire so it is difficult to choose a favourite but one of the most influential artists to my work is Jill Pelto, a contemporary artist and scientist. She presents environmental problems in artistic graphs, raising awareness in a beautiful way to matters such as climate change and endangered species. The topics she explores have influenced my artistic areas of interest as well as her use of watercolour and line.

See Laura’s artwork in The Bowes Museum grounds until 31 August. Find more about the Bouts Art Competition here.

Learn more about the Young People projects, workshops, blogs and opportunities here.