Laura Wilder is an enthusiastic artist whose style fits perfectly into the aesthetic of the Arts & Crafts movement original and rekindled.
Originally a typical college art major, she first worked as a commercial illustrator and graphic artist. At some point she was exposed to the work of the masters of the Arts & Crafts movement and she was stunned and exhilarated she had found an aesthetic that fit her personal style.
So she struck out on her own producing a series of block prints depicting "Artisans at Work," the first of which was modeled after Janice McDuffie who owns a pottery in East Aurora near the Roycroft campus. Soon she was drawn into the Roycroft Renaissance movement and Laura is now a Roycroft Renaissance Master Artisan.
Laura became acquainted with Fair Oak Workshops when we approached her about creating a seasonal block print series inspired by the Dard Hunter illustration on the title page of Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle published by the Roycrofters in 1905. That project was very successful and a few prints remain available directly from Laura.
Laura practices in more than one medium. Besides block prints, from time to time she does serigraphs and also paintings which she reproduces via giclee.
Many of Laura's most popular prints* are long sold out. She has now reproduced the best as small signed giclee prints which she frames under UV glass in an attractive Mission Style Frame. Reasonably priced, they make excellent gifts!
Summer II reads: "May I a small house and large garden have; And a few friends. And Many books... Abraham Cowley 1647"
Peace legend reads: "PEACE CANNOT BE ACHIEVED THROUGH VIOLENCE. IT CAN ONLY BE ATTAINED THROUGH UNDERSTANDING. Ralph Waldo Emerson Shakespeare legend reads: "AND THIS OUR LIFE, EXEMPT FROM PUBLIC HAUNT, FINDS TONGUES IN TREES, BOOKS IN THE RUNNING BROOKS, SERMONS IN STONES, AND GOOD IN EVERYTHING." Shakespeare
*Her print 'The Gloaming' shown above right is her most popular print while 'Autumn Pond' on the previous page is her second most popular print. |