(Welcoming Committee by Laura Fouts)
Some paintings capture a scene that could come from anywhere. Laura Fouts captures scenes that could only come from this certain place. In viewing her work, those who live or play in This Certain Place get a feeling of belonging to a club of smart or lucky folk who know the value of what they are viewing — a real life “If you know, you know” wink.
When complimented on her choice of subjects, Fouts said, “I love to convey the beauty around us, but I tend to paint whatever speaks to me. I recently painted three donkeys peeking in a car because the reference photo made me giggle.” The reference photo was provided by friend Vicki Zahler.
Since girlhood, Fouts has grabbed at every opportunity to learn art, make art, or be around art, starting by copying her favorite childhood book illustrations and continuing through art education and creative jobs. Fouts has worked in retail display, sign making, calligraphy, tile painting, and art studio management, all the while creating art out of her home studio.
These days Fouts’ art medium of choice is pastel. “Pastels are very tactile,” Fouts noted. “You get to feel every mark you make since the stick of pastel is touching your fingers.” The pastel is applied directly as opposed to other mediums which require a tool such as a brush. The biggest drawback, she says, is that you have to depend on the pastel colors you have – there is no way to make a color from two separate colors other than blending them on the paper. “Every pastelist I know feels they need more sticks because one seems to never have the right color.”
Fouts strongly believes in continuing education. “I just want to keep learning and improving.” She enjoys working in her studio but also takes advantage of local opportunities such as a weekly pastel painting group offered through Sagebrushers Art Society in Bend. “It’s so helpful to paint with a group to promote your growth and skill building,” she said.
Fouts also gives back to the arts community by managing the Lend Me Your Walls program at Grace and Hammer Pizzeria. The Lend Me Your Walls program was created and is operated by Dry Canyon Arts Association based in Redmond. The goal of Lend Me Your Walls is to provide Redmond citizens with a rotating display of local art, as well as providing local artists with a place to display their art in a city that is currently lacking any gallery representation. Dry Canyon Arts Association currently provides art to eight locations within the Redmond area.
“Lend Me Your Walls is such a great way for artists to start to show their work and acquire the skills needed to enter art shows,” Fouts said. “You learn how to submit your work, prepare it to hang in a show, edit artwork photos to fit art show criteria. These are all skills required if you want to show your work in competitions. I think Lend Me Your Walls also gives the participating artists more confidence to get their work out in public in a very non-threatening way.”
Laura Fouts’ work has been celebrated locally, such as the Best of Show ribbon she won at the 2022 Deschutes County Fair, but she has recently been noticed statewide with a 2nd place award in the Pastel Artists of Oregon online art competition. “That award meant a lot to me because the competition is much greater than local shows,” she said.
Her latest award, being named Artist of the Month by Dry Canyon Arts Association, will be celebrated during Redmond’s First Friday Art Walk, October 4, from 5-8pm at Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realtors. Laura Fouts’ art will be installed on Sotheby’s gallery wall and she will be there in person to answer questions and to talk about her process. The public is invited to stop in while enjoying the First Friday festivities. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.