About Laura...her artistic side
About Laura...her artistic side
Laura enjoys incorporating design into her life and sharing it with others. A lifelong collector of handcrafted jewelry, ceramics, and objects of art, her appreciation of fine craftsmanship inspired her to learn more about the artistic processes she loves. She currently explores ceramic and metalsmithing techniques with a variety of materials, textures, colors, and patterns to express her own artistic voice.
In 2023, she retired as an architect in the award-winning firm of Penza Bailey Architects, now a studio of PRIME AE. She gratefully embraces her Third Bloom chapter with a focus on spending more time with family and friends and nurturing her artistic side - architectural design at a much smaller scale.
Giving back to communities has been an important part of Laura’s life, and she is grateful to be able to support non-profit and professional organizations by sharing her architectural expertise and her artistic creations to help fulfill important community missions.
​
​
Artistic Statement
My artistic work is an expression of my love of architecture and my passion for hand-crafted art for everyday use. Inspired by the geometry of Architecture and Nature, I enjoy combining different materials, textures, and colors.
​
Architecture thoughtfully connects materials and forms to design functional spaces that bring shelter, function, efficiency and even joy. Art is very much the same - form follows function at a much smaller scale.
​
​
​
Miscellaneous Art Education
​
Alain J. Picard, 2024
Painterly Portraits Course
Portrait Week, Landscape Week
AaHaa School for the Arts,
Telluride, CO
Silver Ring Basics
​
The Artist Corner, Baltimore, MD
Stained Glass
​
Cincinnati Art Museum, OH
​
Spitzmiller Art Studio, Cincinnati, OH
​
​
Baltimore Clayworks
Since 2009, I've enjoyed learning about many different techniques from wonderful instructors:
​
Kyle Butler
Deborah Bedwell
Patty Bilbro
Amy Carnahan
Jim Dugan
Peggy Fowler
Yoshi Fuji
Tim Sherman
Gary Slavinsky
Pamela Theis
​
​
​
​
​
Education
​
University of Cincinnati,
Design, Art, Architecture and Planning (DAAP)
Cincinnati Ohio
​Bachelor of Architecture, 1982
Six Year Co-Operative Program
Architectural Registration,
Maryland, 1985
LEED Accredited Professional, 2009
​
​
​
Summit Country Day High School
Cincinnati, Ohio
Graduated 1976
​
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
​
Foundations Painting I, II
Oil Painting, Watercolor
Advanced Lighting Applications
Bruce Dunlop, Glenn Shrum
Lighting Applications
Bruce Dunlop
Intro. to Lighting Applications
Glenn Shrum
​
​
MICA Jewelry Certification
​
2013, Summer Introductory
April Woods
​
​
​
Baltimore Jewelry Center
​
2020
Industrial Color, Elliot Keeley
​
2019
Production, Jenn Parnell
​
2018
Precious Metal Clay, Erica Bello
Materials Refresh, April Wood
​
2017
Raw Stone Settings, Jenn Parnell
Radical Jewelry Makeover, April Wood
Granulation, Beth Pohlman
​
2016
Repetition, Beth Pohlman
Professional Development Workshop, Heidi Lowe
Color Applications, Jenn Parnell
​
2015
Introductory, Beth Pohlman
Professional Development, Rachel Timmins
3D Enameling, Jenn Parnell
Cold Connections, Kirsten Rook
Anodizing, Shana Kroiz
​
2014
Introduction, Earrings, April Wood
Die Forms, Shana Kroiz
​
​
​
​
​
​
​