Laura Eden

Laura Eden

My paintings are meant to trigger daydreams.  They are a response to quiet moments spent in nature's grasp.  Recalling a familiar feeling of place they, at the same time, show the viewer a more intimate, exaggerated perspective.  I call it a bug's eye view.  Through my work I try to evoke a refreshing response to the commonplace.
 
To best evolve creatively I immerse myself in a particular subject. Becoming at one with the total environment, I engage all my senses, rejoicing in the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of a given place.
 
As a result, my watercolors, and now egg temperas, have traveled through a variety of subject themes: from flowers, to birch, to the Alaskan tundra, from the ocean's edge, upstream to the Arizona desert.  Whether it be pond lilies, rocks, or cactus I take a subject and crawl inside, exploring all aspects of pattern and shape.
My painting style merges the spontaneous inspiration from painting Plein air with an intuitive fascination with detail, creating a distinctive style of realism infused with energy. 

ARTIST’S HISTORY

EDUCATION
1970-1978 Private Study, Louise P. Slayden, Old Saybrook, CT
1974-1976 Watkinson School, Hartford, CT (high school diploma)
1974-1976 University of Hartford, Selected Courses
1976-1978 Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
1978–1980 University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (B.F.A.)
1983-1984 University of Hartford, Graduate Courses

GALLERY AFFILIATIONS
1981-1991 Arts Exclusive Gallery, Avon, CT
1985-1993 Tree's Place, Orleans, MA
1989 Asao Gallery, St. Simons Island, GA
1991-1992 Tatler/Wexford Galleries, Hilton Head, SC
1991-1997 Studio Gallery, Bloomfield, CT 
1993-1994 Carrier Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ
1994-1996  Damarin Gallery, Wiscasset, ME
1996-1997 Hartford Framing Gallery, East Hartford CT
1998-1999 Tofias Gallery, Waltham, MA 
1996-2005 Sea Lion Gallery, Homer, AK
1997-2009 State Of The Arts, Hartford, CT
1997-2000 Studio Gallery, Farmington Valley Arts Center, Avon CT
2000-present Home Studio/Gallery, Granby, CT
2002-2011 Jennifer Galleries, Ltd, Avon CT
2002-2012 J. Vallee Brunelle Fine Art, Granby, CT
2004-2013 Trees Place, Orleans MA
2005-present Bayview Gallery, Brunswick and Camden, ME
2008- 2009 Left Bank Gallery, Essex CT
2010-2013 Gallery North Star, Grafton, VT
SELECTED AWARDS
1977 Syracuse University: Most Promising Freshman Artist 
1979 University of Connecticut: Witryol Award / Studio Art
1980 University of Connecticut: Snow Award for Watercolor
1983 Connecticut Watercolor Society: First Place
1991 Connecticut Women Artists: Mechanics Bank Award
1992 Wintonbury Art League: Watercolor Award
1996 Connecticut Watercolor Society: Second Place
2006,08,09,11,12,13 Granby Land Trust Awards
2007 Connecticut Plein Air Painters, Honorable Mention
2013 CT Watercolor Society: First Place
2014 E.Granby Library Juried Show : First Place Watercolor
RECENT SHOWS

2006 Seven Egg Tempera Masters, Trees Place Orleans MA
2006-2013 Granby Land Trust Juried Show, Granby CT
2007 Lay of the Land, Three Visions of New England,
 Bayview Gallery, Brunswick ME
2007-08,09,10 ,  CT Plein Air Painters Annual Exhibition, E. Hartford CT
2007,10 New Britain Museum of American Art Group Show
2009,  Her Mark: Paintings by our Women Artists, Bayview Gallery
2010- Long and Lean, Mystic Arts Center, Mystic CT
2010-On Holiday, Lyme Art Assoc. Old Lyme C
2011-Eden Poetic Realism100 Pearl Gallery, Hartford CT
2013 -One person show Lost Acres Vineyard
SELECTED CORPORATE/PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Aetna Life and Casualty 
American Nuclear Insurers 
Connecticut Bank and Trust 
Connecticut General/CIGNA 
Connecticut National Bank 
Connecticut Mutual Insurance
Danaher, O'Connell, Attmore, Tedford and Flaherty PC 
Covenant Life Insurance Co.
Day, Berry and Howard
Farmington Savings Bank 
Hartford Hospital 
Home Bank and Trust 
Hunt and Leibert 
Kaiser Permanente
Kidder Peabody & Co
Otis Elevator
Peoples Savings Bank
Robinson and Cole
Ryan and White
Scoler's Restaurant
Shawmut Bank
Simsbury Public Library
Stanadyne Inc
Travelers Insurance, Holiday Card
United Bank
United Technologies Corporate
The Watkinson School
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
1983-present Connecticut Watercolor Society
1993-1999 Connecticut Woman Artists
2002-present Granby Artists Association
2007-present Connecticut Plein Air Painters Society, Elected Artist
2009- present Avon Arts Association
2010- present Lyme Art Association
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
1984-1985 Creative Arts Advisory Board, Watkinson School
1985-2001 Board Member, Connecticut Watercolor Society
1986-1987 Vice President, Connecticut Watercolor Society
1988-1994 Alumni Recognition Board, Watkinson School
1997-2001Secretary, Connecticut Watercolor Society
2003-2005 Webmaster Granby Artists Association 
2006-2007 President Granby Artists Association
2008-2012 Board Member, CT Plein Air Painters So.
2009-2012 Treasurer and Membership chair CPAPS
2010 Juror, Connecticut Watercolor Society, Members Show