Just the Beginning, Laura Tetrault, Acrylic painting
For today’s Artist Spotlight I am pleased to present painter Laura Tetrault! Take a look at my interview with this talented painter.
Jacquin: What is your favorite thing about creating art?
Laura: My favorite thing about creating art, hmm. Is it ok to have more than one favorite? I love mixing the colors and putting them on canvas. I like the sound of the brush on canvas and the excitement of putting colors on and seeing a piece come together. When I work with clients, my favorite part is when I can figure out what meaningful extras I can include in their painting so that it will have extra personal significance for them.
Jacquin: How do you select your artwork subjects?
Laura: When I am painting people, I look for interesting gestures. There is something in a way a person stands, or turns a wrist, or drops a shoulder that tells a story. I look for those cues. With cityscapes I look for an interesting perspective, and if I am lucky enough to have visited in person, I select places that I have some sort of connection with. With flowers, I select them for shape and color and sometimes for symbolic meaning.
Come Splash in the Fountain, Laura Tetrault, Acrylic painting
Jacquin: Which of your works of art is your favorite?
Laura: Right now, Come Splash in the Fountain is my favorite. (see above) I lived in Chicago for several years and Crowne Fountain (at Millenium Park) was one of my favorite summer time haunts. Tourists and locals all came and relaxed. They sit around the edges of the fountain and watch the children play and splash. It’s a little jewel in the middle of the city and it has such great energy. I painted it in jewel tones that reflect the feeling of Crowne Fountain and now it always reminds me of warm summer days.
Jacquin: Who is one of your favorite artists?
Laura: John William Waterhouse is definitely one of my favorites. I love his use of color and his way of telling stories. I was fortunate enough to see an exhibition of his work in Montreal several years ago. It was amazing! He is a bridge between the romantic Pre-Raphaelites and the up and coming impressionists. I also really enjoy Paul Gauguin’s use of bold color and Cezanne’s still lifes.
Rebecca and Tom, Laura Tetrault, Acrylic painting
Jacquin: What inspires your artwork?
Laura: Color and story – I believe that we are all part of the great story that God is weaving, and I am fascinated by how lives and circumstances overlap, intertwine or pass silently by. We can only know so much of the story, which we see from our own perspective primarily. What else we understand of the world is pieced together from what our friends and loved ones share of their own perspectives. Life is wonderfully complex, with layers and layers of meaning which I attempt to capture through my artwork.
Jacquin: How would you describe your personal style?
Laura: Jewel box eclectic. I love greys for walls and furniture with jewel colored accents like pillows and art. Grey shades feature the colors in my artwork quite beautifully. I’m always attracted to world themed pieces, as well, especial things from India and China. I’m rather eclectic when it comes to prints, too (bold geometrics and zebra patterns are favorites).
Jacquin: What are your two favorite movies?
Laura: P.S. I LoveYou is one of my favorites if I’m in the mood for a tear jerker and The Princess Bride, which just gets better with time! There are so many great one liners in that movie.
Jacquin: What would the perfect day be like for you?
Laura: It would start with a pancake breakfast, tea and sunshine streaming in my kitchen window with my two daughters, and then I’d head up to my studio where I’d paint for a couple of hours while the kids played or painted. After lunch we would pack up the car and take the quick drive to the lake, where we’d set up our beach tent and play for the afternoon – maybe till sunset. Hot dogs and popsicles, roasted marshmallows and fireflies. And if we are really lucky, we might catch one of the summer meteor showers.
Pike Place Market, Laura Tetrault, Acrylic painting
If you want to see more of Laura’s paintings or commission a painting of your own, stop by her website for a visit or check out her Facebook and Twitter pages! Have a great week!
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jacquinmh