Sometimes your outlet for happiness can lead to a venture. That’s what happened when Laura Trask started painting. With a degree in fine arts and a past career in home design for a know American desginer, art had always been an interest but she never thought it would be a career. Looking for something just for herself she began painting and it became her passion.
As her body of work grew, Laura took them out into the world. “I started with small cafes, asking them to showcase my work and this lead to commissions and other venues. When my first piece sold, I knew I had found my life outside of motherhood.” Laura has two girls ages 16 and 10 who are very proud of mom’s talent and brag about her all the time. When she describes her work, Laura says it’s something that makes you smile. When you see her work, you know why.
Whether it’s a pair of pink converse sneakers in ballet’s first position or a rack of colorful t-shirts, you can get a taste of Laura’s perspective on life. And she’s not just a painter, Laura loves to repurpose old furniture and things. “I find the most interesting things at the junk shop, white elephant places and on the side of the road.” Laura will strip, paint, and repurpose these castoffs into pieces that can be used again in a new way. She has a fabulous coffee table with a set of pencils painted on it. “My kids love it and use it for doing their nails or whatever. I don’t worry about it, my things are meant to be used and worn.”
She’s not from the south but her esthetic evokes a bit of a southern vintage flair with a northern attitude. Like the large canvas with two Eames chairs facing each other that she calls Couples Therapy. “My dad had an Eames chair that I loved, so I wanted to memorialize it.” Or the vertical piece painted with letters that spell out Motel. One of her most popular commissions and favorite things to do is a Word Search on a large canvas, “I hide words that are meaningful to the family who is buying the piece. Hung in a family room, it becomes an art puzzle of sorts for family and friends to solve.”
Laura had been asked to place several works in a local art show and at the end of the show she told the organizer that her goal was to be a featured artist one day in that show. Fast forward two years, and while shopping at Party City, she ran into that woman and within a week, she was asked to be featured at the CCNS show in Rowayton, CT this spring. “It was an amazing experience.” Another artist and VentureMom Andrea Bonfils, calls it “boot camp for artists.” And it was. Laura says she saw her venture from a true business perspective.
Redoing her old garage, Laura was able to create a studio. “I even put in an intercom to the house. This was a mistake because as soon as I would get ready to put brush to canvas, my kids would call for something. ” Laura says balancing a full career as an artist and kids can be tricky, but she loves creating. “I can’t imagine my life without this, it’s what makes me happy and sane.”
Contact: LauraJTrask.com, [email protected]
VentureMom Tip
Put your goal out there to people who can make it happen.
