Artist Profile

Written By Laura Steels Hitchcock

Laura grew up on the south shore of Montreal in Mont St Hilaire and attended

McGill University for science and nursing. Growing up, Laura spent hours drawing

but never did any formal training. Her mother is an artist so there was always paint

and art supplies around. After a 20-year hiatus of raising kids, Laura participated in

Inktober 2017, she completed all 31 days and just never stopped after that.

Laura works in both Pen and Ink and Coloured Pencil. She loves to capture details

and tries to bring out an emotion in each piece. Most of her work is in coloured

pencil, capturing wildlife that she has encountered here in Canada and on trips

abroad.

Coloured Pencil is a very slow medium in which requires working from light to dark. It

requires thin layers of pigments to be built up to create the final look. She starts with

complementary colours and undertones slowly building up to the final effect. Laura

uses archival lightfast pencils and archival Stonehenge cotton sheets for all her

work. When blending colours, she uses Gamsol Odorless Mineral Spirits to melt the

pigments.

Laura is passionate about the environment and all the wonders it holds. Creating

these portraits is a way to highlight the emotion and value these animals bring to

the world and why it is important to preserve their habitats. Laura is a horticulturalist

and Master Gardener so loves to draw plants as well.

COMPETITONS, EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

  •  2022 Paint Ontario Exhibit, Grand Bend Art Centre, Fall 2022

  •  Louisiana State University Vet School International Exhibit on Animals, Fall 2022

  •  Doors of Meaford, Painted Door on the main Street, Summer 2022

  • Craig Gallery Meaford

  •  Blue Mountain Fine Arts, Gallery Show, Spring 2022

  •  608 Interactive Exhibition, Meaford Library, November 2021.

  •  Collingwood Art Crawl, October 2021.

  •  Gallerie Urbania, Quebec City- Featured in Gallery May- December 2021. Concours- Un Chemin Vers L'Art- Emerging Artist Award 2021, Gallerie Urbania and Deserres.

  •  Kurt Vonnegut Museum & Library, Your Galapagos! March 2021.

  •  Colored Pencil Magazine Gallery, February 2020 and August 2019.

Laura Steels Hitchcock

I am a Canadian artist and have been working with colour pencils since the winter of 2018. I started by working on many different subjects but quickly realized I enjoy working on animal and bird portraits. I choose animals I have encountered personally and have a memory or emotion that I can attach to them. Attempting to transfer those feelings to the portrait is where the fun and challenge lies.

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Emerging Artist Award