Etc. Artist Talk: Laura Smith

In this artist talk, recorded from a live Zoom on the 28th February 2025, I spoke to Laura Smith about her painting and the progression of her career as an artist. This talk is the last in our Winter Oil Paint Term, where we focus on a different artist who works in oils each month.

• You can follow Laura on Instagram HERE

• Laura will be running a still life painting summer school on the 14th, 15th & 16th July at our studio this summer, you can find out more HERE

• Laura has an online course with the Winslow Arts Centre starting today

About
Laura Smith is a British painter, working primarily with still life subjects. She trained at the Slade School of art and at the Royal Drawing School, and exhibits widely. She says of her own practice: “Still life allows me the greatest freedom to express my emotions. The placement, manipulation and gesture of the objects, as well as how they interact with one another, is a big driving force for me. The objects become anthropomorphic as they relate to each other and the spaces I create for them. I reach towards both peopled narratives and abstraction, knowing that the way I depict an object can dissolve its familiarity. I love the word theatrical used in relation to my painting. To me, a theatre is somewhere that transports the audience to a semi-fantastical world where the props are transformed into real, magical objects. For example, a simple hoop might become a portal, or a chair a carriage. In my paintings, I aim to elevate the ordinary things around us and imbue them with significance.”

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Upcoming talks

All Draw Patreon followers and supporters will receive links to all of these upcoming talks without needing to sign up - please feel free to share links to the talks as widely as you like. Thank you to our paid supporters who help us to fund the Zoom account and artist's fee for these talks.

• 28th March '25 / 7-8pm / Jemma Gunning (Planographic print term)

• 25th April '25 / 7-8pm / Brian Wagner (Planographic print term)

• 23rd May '25 / 7-8pm / Scarlett Rebecca (Planographic print term)

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Past ETC Talks

We have a whole series of 1-hour+ ETC talks on our YouTube Channel HERE, from our Art/Work series where we explored the working lives and career progressions of 6 very different artists to our broader ETC series of artist interviews. These talks are great if you are looking for a little inspiration, need to hear more about how other artists have navigated a career in the artist or if you want something to listen to while you draw! You can find links below - I've added a few extra notes on the themes to help you pick between them.

2024/25 Etc. Artist talks:

• Wendy Barratt (Oil Paint term)

• Alvin Kofi (Oil Paint term)

• Sena Adjovi (Graphite term)

• Leggy Gordon (Graphite term)

• Meg Buick (Graphite term)

ETC Art/Work series:

• Anita Taylor (Fine art drawing, The trinity Buoy Warf Drawing Prize)

• Peter James Field (Illustration, portrait painting, career transitions)

• Wuon-Gean Ho (Fine art printmaking, artists residencies)

• Chris Riddell (Illustration, includes live drawing!)

• Simon Martin (Director of Pallant House Gallery, curation)

• Eleanor Crook (Sculpture, studying & teaching human anatomy)

ETC Artist talks:

• Chloe Briggs (Drawing)

• Roy Eastland (Drawing)

• Amy Dury (Painting)

• Jeanette Barnes (City sketching)

• Caragh Savage  (Portrait drawing, charcoal & teaching)

• Philip Tyler (Sky Portrait Artist, painting, printmaking & teaching)

• Hattie Malcomson (Painting, printmaking, feminism in art, body taboos)

• This is Where We Meet (art collective, figure painting, exhibiting together)

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If you have suggestions of artists you'd like to here speak next year, let us know in the comments below!

All the best,

Jake