Etsy

A peripatetic childhood as a military brat instilled in Laura Harkrider a love of travel, new experiences and nature. She’s lived in Okinawa, Japan, The Philippines, and half a dozen US states, finally putting down roots in Asheville, North Carolina - an artist’s town tucked into the Appalachian’s verdant mountains.

After college, Laura held the typical series of unexciting jobs which motivated her to pursue her life long dream of becoming a fine artist. She took the leap of going back to college and received a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Drawing and Painting, from the University of Georgia, Athens. Later she started her own company, Angel Kitty Designs, painting original watercolor artwork that combines Laura quirky sense of humor, understanding of the feline personality and unique figurative art style. Sold in specialty boutiques across the country and online, Laura’s prints, cards and magnets proved appealing both to collectors and to a general audience. Along with her popular cat artwork, Laura has recently rediscovered her love of portraiture, completing commissions ranging from fantasy-inspired visions of a young girl to highly realistic renderings of children. In 2010, Laura illustrated her first children’s book, The Grand Tree by Lyn Marsh. She looks forward to illustrating many more.

Laura has many favorite colors but is partial to blue: cerulean blue and thalo blue, the color of the sky at dusk. “I love the blues Van Gogh used in so many of his paintings.” She draws inspiration from nature she sees everyday: listening to the wind rustle leaves and the sound of flowing water, watching her daughter (7 yr. old Shaelee) grow, and learning from the trees. Indeed, trees are so crucial that Laura says “I can sit under a tree, leaning against it and closing my eyes and get answers to all my questions. In many ways, trees are my spirituality.”

You can visit Laura’s website at www.angelkittydesigns.com