If you live on the West Coast and have any interest in Art, you have heard the name Laura Harris – LauraHarrisartist.com. Her artwork is known globally and yet this creative beauty acts locally giving back so much of her time and talent to our community.

Left to right – my two smaller art pieces completed at the Laura Harris Retreat, Julie Rust and I showing off our work at the end of the Retreat with our amazing teacher Laura in the middle, and my big canvas that I am so proud of.

Her art, often described as “beautifully imperfect“, is usually quite large in size and full of interesting textures and bold colours. Her work is considered abstract but I personally see magnificent landscapes (water, earth and sky) in many of her paintings just not in their traditional appearance. I find her style beautifully relaxed but extremely powerful and she has a genuine confidence that draws you to her and what she creates. It is like she knows you and that feeling brings an ease to conversations which makes learning and spending time with her not only special but fun.

“Her work rocks people’s souls a little…. it reaches out and pulls them in.” Michelle Kirkegaard    

left to right – relaxation after a day of painting, our wonderful space for creating, some of the ladies showing their chocolate and sugared prune desserts – yum!

My first piece of art for our home in Victoria was a Laura Harris. I bought it at the Avenue Gallery in Oak Bay 15 years ago when we moved from the East Coast (not knowing who Laura Harris was) and it is still one of my favourite pieces today.

I have recently been lucky enough to meet Laura and take her Beautifully Imperfect Workshop Retreat…and let me tell you it was a TREAT. Learning from someone who is a true creative was very soulful and emotional.

left to right – Laura creating and teaching, some of the amazing food, beautiful sunflowers and landscapes, our awesome group of ladies, and me working on my two smaller canvases.

Laura has so much passion for her Art but you can also tell it is a part of her being. She is very comfortable with her talent and allows others to realize that everyone is creative in some way and that we all have our own inner artist.  The retreat was amazing and I would recommend it to anyone even if they have never painted. It was more than just learning to put a brush on canvas. It was about learning to let go and how to let yourself make mistakes that might turn into something great later in your creative process. It was also about taking time to slow down and be good to yourself. I can’t remember a weekend where I was truly cell phone free concentrating on the beauty that surrounded me. From the art lessons and yoga, to the amazing food made with love, hand picked greens and beautifully set tables – you felt like you were learning and being loved. Such a wonderful feeling!

left to right – beautiful dinner settings, delicious food and incredible entertainment from Jeanne Tolmie from Sidecar.

She is having a retreat in Italy in 2016 – can you imagine the experience – I want to join!