Current Place des Arts staff member
Biography
Laara Beaton is a neurodivergent artist, who works in a variety of mediums, with a focus on sculpture. Originally from Kingston, Ontario, Laara now lives in Coquitlam. She loves animals, art, gardening, sci-fi and fantasy, and witchcraft. She dreams of learning to make all the things, moving to the country, adopting all the animals, and becoming a cryptid who inspires local legends and scares tourists. She shares her home with her two cats, dog, and her beloved husband who understands her sense of humour.
Artist Statement
My approach to my art is usually idea first, figure out the rest as I go. This is my first art doll, and my first poseable sculpture. I knew I wanted to use a combination of cloth and clay, and have the ability for movement of the head and joints. And, as is the case with most of my work, I wanted the art doll to have a fantasy theme (in this case, a faun). A lot of techniques were picked up on the fly; there was a lot of experimentation with construction techniques, planning sketches, and helpful conversations with a particular artistic cohort, as I figured out what worked and what didn’t. The resulting piece is a culmination of that journey, a little adventurer faun.