Laurel Antur

I have been trying to get back into art. I also tried to quit at completely. I lived in a limbo for many years, not making art and not being able to stop expecting myself to make it. I finally got the advice I needed, mentioned in an early episode of the Art Juice podcast. Basically the advice was to […]

When I was little, I used to take the cat into the bathroom with me, so I could hold it on my lap while I sat on the toilet, to feel its soft belly on my bare thighs. Naked, safe, innocent. And yet, in telling you this, I feel a little shame for how it will be interpreted. I yearn […]

As much as I love painting these, they are a bit of a guilty pleasure. It is clear that I loved my Beatrix Potter books.  But I judge my own work for its illustration quality. Like there is something wrong with it. And there isn’t!  I am an illustrator, of characters for grown up story books. There. Now go away […]

Sometimes revisiting a particular image feels like coming home. But lately it has felt stale. It’s so hard to feel like you are mastering something but still keeping your work fresh. Or to feel like you are working within your “style” while also trying out new things.  I really love the work of Marlene Dumas. She does portraits, and some […]

Recently, I participated in a 5 Day challenge online, designed to help artist tap into their most authentic art. It was facilitated by Jessica Serran, and I highly recommend you check out her website and course offerings. The main thing I learned about myself is that darn it, I just really like to make art that feels very taboo. And […]

I consider these pieces more like art therapy, they are quick, colorful and expressive. They relate to love, to intimacy, to connection, or the lack of it. The sparse backgrounds are like a shelter for two people trying to share a life, at once protected but also isolated in their own joint world. The background is cold, wintery. Recently I […]

Relationship are hard, and what is hard about them, i think, is maintaining intimacy while also just going through day to day shit, including wanting everyone to leave you the fuck alone.  I recently ended a 7 year relationship. Intimacy was one of the issues. Physical and emotional. We were just kind of friends, except, she didn’t feel like a […]

This blog post, though meant for younger artists, struck a cord. In short it says to find artists you envy and try to make art like them, but in your own way, until find your own style. And then, after you’ve found your voice, you really just start to imitate yourself.  I love how this reframes envy. It gives me […]

I love children’s book illustrations. When my kids were little and I still read to them, I would stare at the illustrations while reading the nearly memorized lines.   I loved creating these small intimate paintings. They look like characters from a storybook. Grand and ridiculous.  I’m leaving a hint of a landscape in the background. I hope it adds […]