Laurie Roberts
"Love is the experience of what happens when you see beauty…and when you see beauty in nature, you experience love in its purest form.” Quote by Zack Bush
Born and raised in San Diego County into a family whose vacations and weekends often entailed packing up the old Travelall, and heading south to camp in Baja, Laurie Roberts grew up appreciating wild and lonely places. Since she can remember, her goal has been to live a lifestyle that allows her to live in remote areas surrounded by nature, while earning a living creatively as an artist.
As a creative young woman, Laurie felt drawn to working with steel. She remembers looking at books about sculptures created by David Smith, Giacometti, and Picasso. She knew that’s what she wanted to pursue so, at age 21, she signed up for a three month shipyard welding course at South Bay Trade school in San Diego. Laurie believed with this trade she could support herself and use the skill for creative pursuits, and she was right. Laurie was the first woman welder hired by National Steel and Shipbuilding. For the next several years, she gained skills by working in ornamental iron, blacksmithing, and machine shops while gathering the tools of the trade.
By her late 20’s, Laurie began her successful full-time career welding, making custom art furniture, lighting and sculpture for private clients and businesses. During her 30’s, she went back to college, earned a BS in Landscape Architecture, and ran a design build landscaping business specializing in native and drought tolerant plant gardens. She often incorporated her metalwork and collaborated with her woodworker/furniture maker husband, Lane McClelland, on a variety of building projects.
Laurie dabbled in oil painting in her 40’s. She had always wanted to study landscape painting seriously, and began taking classes in 2012, the same year she and her husband moved to Warner Springs in San Diego County. Laurie became proficient in her art, and began showing and selling her paintings. Her art was featured in a ‘one person show’ at the Gallery in Warner Springs. She was also invited to be the poster artist for the Circle of Art Show in Borrego. During this time, Laurie also explored using manzanita wood for jewelry.
Currently, Laurie is expressing her love for nature and our local landscape with desktop dioramas she calls “Gaiascapes,” miniature 3D nature scenes reflecting landscapes in our backcountry. Laurie also enjoys painting, jewelry and managing their nature retreat rentals on their Birdsong Backcountry Retreat in Warner Springs.
“I am forever inspired and blessed to be able to wake up to the beauty of Nature each day and my hope is to translate that wild essence into my creations for others.”
www.laurierobertsfineart.com
www.birdsongbackcountryretreat.com
Born and raised in San Diego County into a family whose vacations and weekends often entailed packing up the old Travelall, and heading south to camp in Baja, Laurie Roberts grew up appreciating wild and lonely places. Since she can remember, her goal has been to live a lifestyle that allows her to live in remote areas surrounded by nature, while earning a living creatively as an artist.
As a creative young woman, Laurie felt drawn to working with steel. She remembers looking at books about sculptures created by David Smith, Giacometti, and Picasso. She knew that’s what she wanted to pursue so, at age 21, she signed up for a three month shipyard welding course at South Bay Trade school in San Diego. Laurie believed with this trade she could support herself and use the skill for creative pursuits, and she was right. Laurie was the first woman welder hired by National Steel and Shipbuilding. For the next several years, she gained skills by working in ornamental iron, blacksmithing, and machine shops while gathering the tools of the trade.
By her late 20’s, Laurie began her successful full-time career welding, making custom art furniture, lighting and sculpture for private clients and businesses. During her 30’s, she went back to college, earned a BS in Landscape Architecture, and ran a design build landscaping business specializing in native and drought tolerant plant gardens. She often incorporated her metalwork and collaborated with her woodworker/furniture maker husband, Lane McClelland, on a variety of building projects.
Laurie dabbled in oil painting in her 40’s. She had always wanted to study landscape painting seriously, and began taking classes in 2012, the same year she and her husband moved to Warner Springs in San Diego County. Laurie became proficient in her art, and began showing and selling her paintings. Her art was featured in a ‘one person show’ at the Gallery in Warner Springs. She was also invited to be the poster artist for the Circle of Art Show in Borrego. During this time, Laurie also explored using manzanita wood for jewelry.
Currently, Laurie is expressing her love for nature and our local landscape with desktop dioramas she calls “Gaiascapes,” miniature 3D nature scenes reflecting landscapes in our backcountry. Laurie also enjoys painting, jewelry and managing their nature retreat rentals on their Birdsong Backcountry Retreat in Warner Springs.
“I am forever inspired and blessed to be able to wake up to the beauty of Nature each day and my hope is to translate that wild essence into my creations for others.”
www.laurierobertsfineart.com
www.birdsongbackcountryretreat.com
