Studio Spotlight with Guest Artist Laura Lein Svencner

Over the course of ten Wednesday's join me in welcoming 10 guest artists as they share a glimpse into the spaces that foster their creative process. One of our ten guest bloggers referred to the artist's studio as "Sacred Space", and indeed it is just that for me. Working in the silence of my own studio is the place I am most easily able to connect to my Creator. As our guest artists share images of their own sacred spaces, they tell a bit of their creative process through the answers to four simple questions. Read about the artist in their bio and then explore the links each one will provide to get to know them a little more.

Laura Lein Svencner is another artist whose work I loved and whom I followed on her blog for some time before I realized she lived in the Chicago area too. I was super thrilled to meet her when I joined the mid-west collage society and was doubly thrilled to find her to be one of the most down-to-earth and generously kind artists I know. I have had the privilege of visiting Laura's studio first hand and so it was a no-brainer to invite her to join the series when it began. I know you will enjoy this visit to her studio and I encourage you to head over to her website and blog after to see her amazing collage work. 

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Laura Lein-Svencner's Studio

1. What is your favorite time of day to create and why?

This is a question I don’t have one answer for, being mom of four and an artist from a young age I had to learn to grab the creative time when I could. Sometimes it was forced as this is it this week so best get to the studio now…and other times I would grab the time early in the morning while the house was still a sleep and quietly work in my studio with a sense of great peace. I’ve recently experience a purged studio and room to do yoga in there and then I gently work for about an hour or so afterwards which is so wonderful to do but not always easy. What has settled lately as a favorite time is the afternoons leading into the dinner hour? All the computer stuff and homestead chores are out of the way and I settle in to a quiet afternoon in the studio.

2. What do you love most about your studio?

Living with a house full of 6 including myself space is hard to come by, The husband has had his garage space for some time and I took over the master bedroom of our home that we’ve been under construction for some time and converted into my studio space. I love to look out and see my backyard, and neighborhood. With my studio on the second level I’m allowed to bare witness to the tree top canopy. Watching and listening to the birds brings great joy. So I guess I would have to say the part that I love most is it’s a space of my own and being able to create and observe nature out the windows all at the same time. Best of both worlds.

3. What can always be found in your work space?

Paper, paints, brushes, family photos that mean a lot to me hanging on the wall, cat and dog hair, lots of books on the shelves, projects in process, large tables being I work standing up and flat most of the time. You might see collectable things hanging or resting on a window ledge, a kite hanging from the ceiling, always a kid at heart. There are many things in my studio some that have sentimental value and other things that I just like, and then there are those things that I can see being something else. I’ve become more selectable as it’s so easy to over have. When asked if I would like something from some I have to think about where my art is going and if this could be part of the directions, then I say yes but lately I’ve been turning things down like I said and being more selective.

Laura Lein-Svencner's Studio

4. What dream supply would you purchase if money were no issue? 

Wow, this is a great questions…but there isn’t one thing that comes to mind right now…I think for a collage, mixed media, assemblage artist the surprise of the find is more exciting than a purchased supply. I know there are many new products coming out left and right which is great but I seem to want to explore with the materials I have and push them as far as I can before jumping into any other supply. Not sure if this makes sense.

5. What medium would you want to learn if time were no issue?

I think I would like to go back into printing not so much for the final piece but for the process, I’ve dabble in many printing techniques but carving a linoleum plate from a drawing really excites me… 

Laura Lein-Svencner

About The Artist

Laura Lein-Svencner was raised in Downers Grove IL not far from her grandfather's farm and resides now Darien Illinois for the past 29 years. She's continued with her personal studies in drawing, printmaking, sculpture/assemblage, papermaking and collage. Seeking inspiration from one artist to another, Laura has pursued her love of paper; this steady pace of exploration has led her to become a member of many local and international collage groups. She also co-founded the Midwest Collage Society which exhibits throughout the Midwest region. Her works has won many awards and most recently the 27th Annual Juried Exhibit with the National Collage Society. Her work has been published in Watercolor Artist Magazine 2009, Creating Collage in all Dimensions 2010, Flavors for Mixed Media 2011, Painting in Mixed Media 2012. This Fall 2013, Laura's work can be seen in Incite, Dreams Realized and Mixed Media Artist, from North Light Books. Gallery presentation The Flying Pig in Algoma WI. Currently Laura teaches her techniques of collage at Naperville Art League and at Mayslake Peabody Estate. During the summer months you will find her creating in her studio, gardening and walking in the woods with her dogs but when she's not doing that you will see her exhibiting at local art fairs and teaching collage workshops throughout the Midwest.

Website: http://www.lauralein-svencner.com

Blog: http://www.lonecrowart.blogspot.com