Photo and Interview: Peter Stog
My name is Laura Clark and I'm a self-taught abstract artist currently based in Morristown, NJ. I was born and raised in the small town of Hockessin, Delaware with my parents, older brother, and older sister. Growing up I always had a flair for artistry, singing, music, and history. At a young age, I was fascinated with art's ability to transcend language/cultural divides and bring people together, similar to music. However, because of my competitive swimming career starting at age 4, I wasn't afforded the time to explore the creative space as a hobby.
My swimming career and curiosity in something other than Delaware eventually led me to West Virginia University, where I studied TV Journalism and Sports Communication. After graduating, I realized the rigid world of reporting didn't appeal to me, and so I pursued a new career path. After working in various industries including marketing and advertising, I feel fortunate that my current outside sales role has finally allowed me the freedom to return to my roots and explore the things that brought me so much joy when I was younger, but never had time for.
Much of my personal life is centered around family, friends, and exploring the world around me. Getting to know Morristown's rich history and surrounding nature has expanded the areas I draw inspiration from. You can always find me walking downtown with friends, dining at the local restaurants, and attending many of the events the town has to offer. With Lokl Cafe's help, I'm so excited to have this opportunity to share my work with each of you, and perhaps one day have the privilege of doing so full time.
I primarily work with acrylics and oil sticks in a variation of pouring and other techniques that get me to the final result, and my influences reflect my environment and experiences from the day or week. My preferred color palette is usually a mix of oranges, blues, greens, blacks, and whites, but I never limit myself if I'm feeling other colors in the moment!
My approach is intuitive, and doesn't involve a ton of forethought. I enjoy choosing colors I feel inspired by in the moment, and start each of my paintings with the same feeling. I feel through it and pivot as I go, never knowing or planning what the end result will look like.
Similarly to my approach, my main inspiration is following my intuition into each work. Otherwise I'm inspired by my environment, including what's happening outside in nature and astrologically. What I love about abstract art is it lends a feeling to the person viewing it, and doesn't tell them what they should see or how they should perceive it. The perception of it all is what's the most fun!
Growing up I was always intrigued by Warhol's bright and fun work. Over the years I've garnered inspiration from a few artists on social media, most namely Maja Dlugolecki.
Lauras' art will be exhibited until June 1st at LOKL cafe-80 South Street Morristown, NJ