costumes … canvases … poetry … leather masks
Laura O’Neal
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| artist & designer |
Laura O’Neal is excited to be a featured artist/designer for the fourth year running at the “Love Your Mother Eco-Fashion Show” at Marsh Landing Country Club in Ponte Vedra, FL on Saturday, March 31. At the culmination of this twelve months project, Laura will be eager to demonstrate her fantastical magical creations at Butterfield Garage Art Gallery on First Friday Art Walk in St. Augustine on April 6, 2018. Her models will be informally modeling at the gallery that evening from 5 to 9 pm. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Cultural Council at Ponte Vedra Beach. The exhibit will be ongoing through the month of April.
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| masks |
Her theme is inspired by the seasons and her presentation is called “An Oracle of Seasons.” Laura has not only created the innovative and imaginative costumes for the show, using eco-friendly and recycled materials, but she also painted the creations on canvas and wrote original poetry to accompany the pieces.
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| Spring |
The art project “Oracle of Seasons” has been a year in the making. Laura has been creating exciting costumes with recycled and trashed materials. The pièces de résistance of the four outfits are leather masks representing spring, summer, fall, and winter. A year ago, she picked up a couple of handbags and leather totes that had been thrown curbside on trash morning. As the plans for the “Love Your Mother Eco Fashion Show” began to form, and Laura was invited to participate, she decided to make masks with the leather of the discarded purses. The idea to work and re-work leather has been an item on her bucket list of art projects for a long time. She wanted the creations to be something she would be proud to show at any gallery or art exhibition.
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| Summer |
Laura received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design from the University of Akron, Ohio. She is a mixed-media artist, as well as a great designer, poet, and lyricist. Her art is very upbeat, colorful, and at first sight whimsical. Upon closer inspection, however, one can feel her musings and spiritual ponderings behind the visual aspects of her creations. Although she finds inspiration in all things small and large around her, she gets deeply excited about the written word. She often translates her spiritual inspiration into her art.
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| Fall |
Laura has served on the board of artist members of Butterfield Garage Art Gallery for about two years and is still represented by the same. She has recently been voted to fill the position of Vice President for the Associated Galleries of Saint Augustine (AGOSA), which started rekindling ties with the Saint Johns Cultural Council (SJCC). Laura is also in charge of curation with STArt, curators at large, a service agency to bring original local art together with any available wall space.
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| Winter |
The creations of the “Love Your Mother Eco Fashion Show” with the recycled clothes and masks inspired visual art, performance, and poetry. The collection of fashion costumes, canvases, poetry, and masks will be on display at Butterfield Garage Art Gallery in St. Augustine for First Friday Art Walk on April 6, 2018.
Butterfield Garage Art Gallery – 137 W King St # B, St. Augustine, FL – (904) 825-4577
Presented by STArt CuratorsAtLarge - startcuration@gmail.com
