B I O G R A P H Y “Life is often way too serious. I want my pieces to lift the viewer and take them to a better place for a timeless moment. Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone smile and laugh with my work.” Laurel's sculptural creations represent her vision and spirit; and if her extensive body of work is any indication, that spirit is a tad whimsical. Laurel is a classically trained sculptor. As a former repeat Director of the board for the La Scuola Classical Sculpture School and juror for the highest-ranking art show in the U.S., she keeps one eye on the masters and the other on the present. Her work draws on her love of figurative expression and the freedom of impressionistic interpretation. Not to mention her love of animals. An examination of any piece from her recent portfolio reveals her ability to observe and capture motion in clean lines. That’s Laurel’s ultimate design goal: to capture complex motions and emotion in static 3D lines. Her process begins with careful scrutiny of the anatomy and motion of her subject. Dozens of sketches and maquettes later, a single attitude captures the essence of a particular movement or position. This attention to realism within her interpretive style is for a purpose. “As Picasso said, you have to know the rules to break them. Even when I take liberties with a human or animal character, it has to be readable. The viewer has to know that it’s a bear doing the bump, or a Dachshund doing the twist. People respond at an unconscious level to correct ratios of form and balance.” After sculpting a piece in wax or oil-based clay, traditional lost-wax casting methods generate the limited-edition bronzes. While monitoring and approving every step of production by her team of master craftsmen, Laurel actively takes a direct role in achieving another hallmark of her work — complex and rich patinas. Multiple layers of chemicals and oxides are applied to the heated bronze to achieve a range of unique effects, both translucent and opaque, that complement each design.