Laura Green Studio

As an only child of divorced parents, I grew up in the 80s and 90s with the TV as a babysitter and companion. I was often left alone with my conflicting feelings. As both parents started new families, I felt invisible and unwanted. Consequently, now I am a mother to four young children, and it’s very important for me to remain physically and emotionally connected to my children. As a homeschooling parent, my primary goal is to create a protected space for them. My paintings are recordings of my careful observations.

My subject matter reflects the time I have spent teaching, learning, and exploring natural spaces in the San Diego area. Parenting in today’s world has an edge of danger and anxiety. There are immediate risks such as bullying, cyber stalking and mass shootings as well as looming climate collapse and impending mass extinction. We are living in a time of tenuous existence with nature, and there are no guarantees for the future. In the chaos of threats, children draw our attention to things we would normally miss. Children enjoy simple experiences in life, such as climbing trees or looking at bugs, and my work explores my desire to protect, preserve and remember those times.

I use my own photographs as a reference tool, but I include both gestural and realistic rendering so as to create a sense of motion and a feeling of immediacy. I work in an “alla prima” style which is conducive to acrylics so as not to overwork or dull color. I like to use strong ground colors which complement or intentionally contrast with the palette of my painting. Ideally, the ground colors peek through in small areas. Many of my paintings are created in one session and are executed with energetic and visible brushstrokes.