Laura Bonner

Artist Statement:

Laura’s paintings are promises: “I will remember this moment with you.” She captures landscapes, icons, flora, and events inspired by her native hometown of New Orleans and adopted hometown of Richmond, and the magic of life on the rivers that flow past both cities. Her use of paint markers and scrawls are nods to graffiti tags and storybook illustration. Her palette consists of her favorite colors, ones that speak of light and the exuberance of being. Once she has sketched out basic objects to spark recognition, she wanders the canvas lost in what happens with the paint itself—edges, contrast, texture, movement. A story unfolds.

The narrative of each painting ends with the same message: you should have been there, you should have seen this. You’d have marveled at the light and the fireworks. You would be humbled by the majesty of this bridge. You’d have loved the cool blue meditative moment in the shade of trees against a fading pink sky, with the river rocks silvering in the light of a reluctantly receding day. And so she paints on.