By Amber Ford, The Mountain Times
A resident of the Mt. Hood Villages for seven years, local resident and artist Laura Strudwick is making a professional name for herself through her art, projects and the shows she has participated in throughout the last several years. Self-taught during the Covid-19 pandemic, Strudwick has been practicing the art of watercolors for the last four years and acrylics for the last two. “During the Covid lockdown, I started teaching myself how to paint. I began with watercolor, watching YouTube, Let’s Make Art.com, and Anna Mason’s tutorials,” Strudwick said. “I painted for hours everyday. I took many online watercolor classes with Leslie Barnum through Mt. Hood Community College. After lockdown, I began attending a weekly Friday art class/open studio in Portland with Ketty Miller through MHCC; they are my art family and support group,” Strudwick added.
An emerging artist in the Mt. Hood Villages, Strudwick has become dedicated and disciplined in not only creating pieces that captivate audiences, but also in the other forms of art she practices. “I have loved and practiced photography since I was young. This is my first year selling my photographs,” Strudwick said. An artist in every sense of the word, Strudwick has dabbled in everything from music to the written word. “I’m also a musician who can play trumpet, piano, and guitar,” Strudwick said. “I am a writer who has published academic articles and a doctoral dissertation. I’m currently working on a creative nonfiction manuscript. I’m a trained SoulCollage® facilitator, which is an art form that also functions as a therapeutic tool. I’ve taught many SoulCollage® classes to mountain folk. It’s an easy art form that yields beautiful products as well as deepens our inner wisdom,” Strudwick added.
With the help of artists who have come before her, Strudwick has examined and studied the works of other artists with whom she finds connection to the types of artwork she creates. From other self-taught artists to legends past, Strudwick finds passion in her work while studying the craft of other artists. “I’ve recently started a project called the “Dream Portfolio” where you choose your top ten favorite paintings of all time and then reproduce them to dive into the other artists’ techniques. The project is supposed to help you deepen your artistic voice,” Strudwick said. “So far, I’ve included paintings by Vincent van Gogh, Marc Chagall, the abundant fruit and flower still life paintings of Severin Roesen, Cornelis Mahu, and Rachel Ruysch, and three contemporary painters, John Cosby (California impressionist), the translucent citrus paintings of Dennis Wojtkiewicz, and Kitipong Maksin (Thai botanical watercolorist),” Strudwick added.
Inspired by the beautiful Mt. Hood Forest that surrounds her, Strudwick is constantly finding ways to add character to her work from her own backyard. “The ordinary up here is extraordinary,” Strudwick said. “When people come to my booth at the Hoodland Farmers Market or the holiday markets, they are often drawn to my photographs for sale, and we start talking about the Western Pasque flower or the hiking trails to Burnt Lake and Paradise Park. Almost all of my photographs that I sell are from day hikes and backpacks on Mt.Hood,” Strudwick added.
Those interested in viewing Strudwick’s work for purchase, please visit www.laurastrudwickart.com .