Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Gordon.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have always loved drawing and doodling all over my notepads and I took art as an elective and high school, but it wasn’t until these last two years that I started to actually share my art with the world.
I am an incredibly active person. I love to: play soccer, surf, kayak, scuba dive, run, hike, explore, dance the night away and be outdoors as much as possible. But in September of 2016, I injured my foot and ankle pretty badly requiring a few surgeries, a little metal and a lot of down time. I was rolling around on a scooter, watching perfect ocean days go by from the sidelines and scooting around on a knee scooter. To help sort through my angst, sadness and overall frustration; I picked up my paintbrushes and began to paint again.
The cobwebs took a little while to come off, and my first few attempts at masterpieces were far from my expectations. But I kept trying, and little bits of happiness started to work their way back into my life. I noticed that sharing my art also made others feel happy and inspired.
At some point, a friend handed me an old surfboard that they were about to throw away and said “Why don’t you paint this?” In the matter of a single moment I saw my passion for the ocean and awareness art come together in a wonderful way. I wanted to turn these wonderful pieces of equipment, the means by which we connect with the ocean for countless waves, into something beautiful, useful and purposeful.
I was deeply inspired by a quote that I stumbled upon which stated: “In Japan, broken objects are often fixed with gold. The flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object’s history, which adds to its beauty.” I decided that I would start upcycling old and broken surfboards to help keep them out of landfills as a way to create art for the ocean-loving and the mindful.
This style of “awareness art” reminds me of a whiteboard I used to keep in my room. On it, I wrote quotes that would help get me through my weakest moments. I feel like pieces of awareness art are beautiful ways to help us become more mindful about the things we discard. Passing by your painted surfboard in the morning might help you remember to bring your own coffee cup, refuse straws at restaurants, and grab your reusable bag before heading to the grocery store. It’s the little things that can truly make a difference and come together to help us create a more mindful environment about plastic pollution.
Please tell us about your art.
I use surfboards that are destined for landfills as my canvasses. I polish them down, prime them, put a base layer down and then put an image on the board that helps me to personally feel mindful, happy and inspired. I create these images using acrylic paint and then seal the boards with a varnish.
So far, I have gravitated towards three main styles: mandalas, waves and flowers.
Mandalas are special to me because they reflect my deep appreciation for the little things in life. When you break a mandala down, you start to realize that these incredibly intricate images are simply hundreds of little lines and dots coming together in a unique way to form the final masterpiece. Mandalas were how I first understood what self-love was, and that every human is like their own unique mandala. We have all these beautiful life experiences, passions and talents that comes together to manifest the complete image of who we are individually. I always feel like when people are drawn to mandalas it is because they are discovering what it means to love yourself.
Waves are special to me because of how much I love the ocean. I have gravitated towards a certain style of wave, one that is similar to the print image: “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” not because I love the image more than others, but because I love the creator’s story. His name was Hokusai, and he did not create this masterpiece until he was almost 70 years old! He had been painting his whole life, and never gave up on his dream. Now, the wave is one of the most universally recognized pieces of art around the world and it unites ocean lovers across the planet.
Flowers are my favorite. They always have been. So much so, that flowers were an important staple to my first few tattoos. I didn’t learn how to paint them until this last year though. I was in the rice field terraces of Ubud, Bali; and I learned how take my bulky, illustrative style and depict a realistic image of my favorite flowers: hibiscus. I always like to keep in mind that a flower does not compete with the flower next to it, it just blooms; and the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
I have connected around the world with artists through social media. I know there is so much frustration and anger around social media being only a means of self-validation, but I have found it to be an incredible platform for me to voice my real self, to be honest and to find like-minded individuals who support my endeavors.
I think sometimes that we feel lonely because we are acting out of a fear of rejection. We fear that if we show people who we really are, what we like to create and how we feel; we will not be appreciated and we won’t feel understood. And I can say that this might happen (it has happened to me), but getting back up, dusting yourself off and trying again is the best medicine. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there- how people react is a reflection of their own inner turmoil, not your talents or your self-worth.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
People can access my artwork primarily through my personal social media. I am always updating my commissioned pieces as well as my newer gallery pieces on Facebook and Instagram. My Instagram handle is: lauragordon__ and I am listed on Facebook as “Laura Gordon.”
On these platforms, you will be able to find images of my completed works. I have a few boards currently in my gallery, but I also take commissions and love fun twists on designs that I have previously completed!
Contact Info:
- Address: La Jolla, CA 92122
- Website: www.uluwatustudio.com
- Phone: 9259171991
- Email: gordon.v.laura@gmail.com
- Instagram: lauragordon__
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/lvgordon
Image Credit:
Photo Credit: Scrimshaw Collective
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