Laura Dunn

Drawn to florals and botanicals because I was surrounded by them as a child who grew up in commercial greenhouses, my work explores these subjects in a way that portrays them, not as the delicate adornments that make up bouquets or arrangements, but as distinct, individual corolla that bring beauty by simply being present. I see plant life as nature’s reminder that we are here to fully experience the world, take up space, and bring our truest, most original selves to all that we do. Painting is how I express that version of myself.

I like striking a balance by using textured, thick-bristle oil paint brushes to apply deep, saturated acrylic paints to canvas. When I think of being under a microscope, I feel vulnerable and uncertain, but when I sit at my easel to capture an up-close look at florals, I feel like I am magnifying beauty instead of inspecting for flaws. As a female artist, it feels revolutionary to create unapologetically. My work speaks to living life in such a way.