I have been making art since I could hold a crayon, and my work continues to be influenced by the gardens and landscapes of my childhood, as well as my travels to far away places.

Combining my colorful experiences with love and imagination, I create artwork that values joy and connection. I seek out the “spirit of place” that can be found in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley of central Virginia, an exotic travel destination, or in my own backyard.

My imaginative paintings, drawings, and illustrations combine a close observation of the natural world with a fanciful overlay of memory and invention. My landscapes explore the places they represent, as well as the inner landscape of my experience and how it might be shared.

I earned my undergraduate degree in Art and Architecture at the University of Virginia and continued on at UVA as an Aunspaugh Post-Baccalaureate Fellow in Studio Art before earning my MFA from American University in Washington, D.C. I had the opportunity to spend a summer in Perugia, Italy, at the Accademia de Belle Arti Pietro Vannucci, where the panoramic Mediterranean landscape took hold of my imagination.

I maintain a tall stack of books by my bedside table, just like my father, who taught me to cultivate curiosity and a love of learning. My passions include Mediterranean food, wine and culture, leafy greens, artisan cheeses, organic gardening, and daily drawing in my sketchbook. I’m an artist, a mom, and a co-owner of Orzo Kitchen & Wine Bar in Charlottesville, VA with my husband and two best friends.

Fine Art, Illustration & Design
www.laurawootenstudio.com