November 2023: Laura Hudson and Jean Whitesavage

Laura Hudson grew up on a quaint country road on Whidbey Island, Washington, surrounded by community and family. She earned her BFA in Fine Art from Western Washington University and an MFA in Painting from Maryland Institute College of Art. Following graduation, Laura became active in a Baltimore artist collective, where she lived, created art, and produced shows with fellow artists and musicians. Longing for home, she left the urban fine art world and crossed the country once again to return to the Pacific Northwest, where she has come full circle, living on Whidbey and raising her 3 young boys with her partner. They reside in a 1920’s farmhouse on acreage, with rolling meadows, lots of wildlife and quirky farm animals all around. The quiet, rustic life provides Laura with the sense of connection to the land and the creatures and community that inhabit it – guiding her studio practice on the same Island where she was raised.

This new body of work explores aspects of what lives at the core of my spirituality. Themes such as balance, friendship, motherhood, and diving into unknowns. Riding a line between abstract and representational, I start with simple line drawings, and approach the painting from an intuitive place. My devotion to playing with color and mark making is present, and the paintings are worked until I feel a sense of connection and balance. The moments of uncertainty in the paintings parallel the feeling of living in the present while trying to accept the unknown.