A self-taught wildlife painter, Laura Wilkins mostly uses watercolor to depict feathered creatures. Her work is inspired by our connection to ocean and land, and she approaches artmaking as a meditative process, using methods influenced by East Asian calligraphy to paint realistic birds. She began practicing mindfulness and meditation at a young age after being inspired by her mother’s books, and these practices continue to influence her painting process to this day.
Wilkins renders her images with Chinese and Japanese paintbrushes, dipping them in watercolor as opposed to ink to obtain smooth, accurate linework. The birds appear loose but realistic in their expression. To give her images added dimension, she frequently uses salt on her watercolor paper.
Wilkins is currently working out of her home studio in Denver, Colorado.
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