When 2020 hit - like many - I experienced a forced reset in how my days looked like. Although that year brought unfortunate circumstances, separation from friends and family, it also invited an unexpected opportunity to welcome more creativity. With my home base at the time being Gainesville, FL and many peers leaving our campus bubble with an unsure return date, dumpsters were filled with perfectly great condition furniture. For the next 5 months with school going virtual and being laid off, I prioritized finding an alternative to use my degree in Visual Art Studies to paint on canvases, found objects, and eventually really leaning into watercolor. Soon enough, friends, family, friends of friends, and eventually even strangers began commissioning my pieces, lending my art to become "Art De Lau" - art by me.
Through graduating from University of Florida, obtaining my Masters in Art Therapy from Florida State University, moving to Atlanta, and becoming a fully licensed professional counselor, my art remained as my “third place.” I once listened to a podcast that referenced we usually have two places - home and work - but the magic really lies in the third place. For me, that’s still making art. Five years into commissions, I’ve enjoyed expanding into sharing space with the community and selling paintings at artist markets, allowing me to form connections with each individual taking the time to connect with my art. My goal was, and continues to be, to create pieces that stir feelings of nostalgia and warmth, depicting special places and experiences.
I love painting with watercolors because of the way they create a gentle atmosphere in my paintings. The fluid layers feel like memories or places coming to life in a natural way. Once the watercolor has settled into its own shape, I add black ink to highlight details within - not to confine the painting, but to honor and draw attention to what has already emerged.
