About the Artist - Laura Cody
Although Laura Cody is a New York City native, it’s easy to get lost in the deep southern roots of her art. Currently living in Charleston, S.C., Laura originally moved to Beaufort, S.C. in 2001 with her husband to retire from a 25-year career in the medical field. A move that, according to Laura, sparked her long dormant passion for her inner artist. “Everywhere I looked I saw beauty and I was inspired to capture that beauty with my art.”
“When I moved to the Lowcountry, it all just started pouring out of me at once. The landscapes, the people, especially the people, I just knew I had to get it all on paper.”
Laura primarily uses oils and pastels in her art, which captures the essence and spirit of the Lowcountry through her unparalleled portrayal of landscapes, seascapes, wildlife, florals and everyday scenes of the South. Her aspiration is to emulate the joy that she feels when she sees with her own eyes the beautiful scenes in which she paints. “I look for the beauty in every subject and try to portray that beauty so that others can experience joy through my art.”
“Creative Hands,” this month’s cover piece, was inspired by a picture of hands making a Sweetgrass basket Laura once saw on a magazine. Her interest in basket weaving was actually sparked, however, when she helped several basket weavers sell. Laura said that allowed her to get to know the people and understand the beauty of what makes basket weaving so instrumental to the South and its traditions. Laura was so pleased with the way her initial piece turned out, she created an entire series of “Creative Hands” to dedicate to the iconic traditions of basket weaving as a Southern custom, which continues today. The original pastel of “Creative Hands” is 12” x 15” and can be purchased framed or unframed.
In addition to her unique way of bringing the Lowcountry alive through her paintings, Laura also paints portraits of children, adults and pets, as well as weddings, graduations and other special occasions. Portraits are her favorite, she says, “Because when you paint a person, you really have to get to know them on a deeper level to achieve a great portrait. You have to get every line, every spec of that person to really be able to feel them through a piece of art.”
Her work has made her an award-winning artist in the Lowcountry. She has also received national recognition with art hanging in private collections through the United States and Canada. Although she is now renowned for what she has already accomplished, her passion continues to thrive. “I paint every day and usually every night. At night there are no interruptions—no phone calls, no errands, no dinner to be made—I can just sit and paint.”
“My passion for art is still so fresh and new, probably because I started to feed it so late in life. It’s all still exciting to me; there’s just so much to see, so much to do!”
Laura’s works can be found and are for sale at Lowcountry Artists Gallery on East Bay Street in Charleston, S.C. (www.lowcountryartists.com) and Art Central Gallery on Central Avenue in Summerville, S.C. (www.artcgalleryltd.com).
To buy a piece or see more of Laura Cody’s work, visit lauracodyart.com.