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We are happy to announce that we have been successfully funded by Creative Barking and Dagenham Programme to run a series of workshops for local people who are in need of creative boost. There will be a series of two rounds of workshops, of 4 sessions each . As it's the summer, the workshop will be held outdoors! This will provide prime opportunities to observe the world around us, and develop your landscape painting skills! Witness the way clouds change shape and tone by the second. Marvel at the many thousands of tones and shades that wash through the grass, along with the wind. Understand your local history connect and celebrate it through colours and shapes. This workshop is all about creativity, not only technique or training. There’s no critiquing, no analysis, no judgement, and no comparison with others. You’ll just create beautiful art! Within this workshop, we’ll support you to: Discover your own, personal, creative voice Trust your intuition and not the nagging voices in your head Embrace your creative energy, focussing on letting go rather than worrying about aesthetics Examine your creative blocks and use their causes to lift your creativity to new heights Experience your imagination like never before, revealing the path to deeper enlightenment Why do all this? Creating art without concern for talent, skill, or accomplishment is exhilarating – Your art could take you anywhere! We’re celebrating artistic freedom! There is no pressure to perform, produce, or succeed. Our workshop puts an emphasis on the creative process rather than the technique. Free expression is our goal! And at the end of the series of workshops one of your art pieces will be showcased in a final exhibition at Laura I. Gallery on the 9th of August Who is this workshop perfect for? These classes are aimed towards those with an interest in creating art but have never taken art classes, or for those who have taken art classes in the past and wish to revisit their passion. Absolute beginners right through to experts. You don’t even need to have picked up a paintbrush before! All we ask is that you come with an open mind and a real thirst for artistic exploration and adventure Do you need to bring anything with you? Bring yourself and if possible a portable easel or a drawing board if you have one. All other materials will be provided. Timetable: Starting time 12.00 - Finishing time about 15.30, depending on the location. Meeting point: Laura I. Art Gallery, Abbey Road, IG11 7BT First Round Workshop Dates:
All the bonuses are repeated in the second round too. Second Round Workshop Dates:
To apply you must:
Please book your place at laura@lauraigallery.com stating in which round you are interested to participate. We cannot guarantee you a place as first come first served! 
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Wow! What a privilege to have our gallery being selected the Community Business of The Year London 2018 !We have now secured a place at the FSB National Awards which will compete with the best businesses models in UK . You are now looking at an award-winning art gallery whose work in making a great difference in the world has been recognised. Yup, Laura I. Art Gallery won the Community Award at the prestigious FSB Awards on Monday the 19th of March 2018 and we are absolutely bursting with pride. We are happy to introduce you the very talented and original Michael Hlousek Nagle ,our First Prize winning artist from "Now Thats What I Call Art" Exhibition 2017. Michael won of a free studio space for one year provided by our amazing sponsors Icehouse Quarter in collaboration with Roof Property LLP and free mentoring schemes with Barking Centre Enterprise. Here is Michael`s exclusive interview with us : 1) What was your opinion of the exhibition? I loved the diversity of the work in the exhibition, there was something for everyone, and the differences in the works meant that it wasn't too easy to look for five minutes and think you'd seen it all - the eye and the mind constantly had to adjust and change their way of looking as you went from piece to piece. And more importantly, the quality was really high, the standard of the work was fantastic. I felt extremely happy to have my piece among such good company and was surprised to have been the winner. 2) What has the prize meant to you? This prize has meant nothing less than the difference between being a former artist and a practicing artist. I had no studio space, no ideas, and no belief in myself. I had almost resigned myself to being a former artist and living a life of quiet self-loathing. I entered quite late and couldn't believe how well it went for me, so in artistic terms it has meant everything, because without this prize I would not be making artwork. 3) How have you used the opportunity ? I am drawing and painting, night and day. I drop my daughter at school, come straight to the studio, work till teatime, go home, have dinner with my family, do homework with my daughter and get her to bed, then I come back to the studio and work until the early hours. I am determined not to waste it. 4) What do you like the most about the space? The thing I like most about the space is... all the space! 5) What have you created in the space? I'm working on some very large canvases at the moment, creating oil paintings for a solo exhibition of work to be hosted in the Boathouse Creative Studios in February 2018. The exhibition will be a kind of mythical re-creation or re-imaging of Barking, exploring some of its history and landmarks but in a curious, magical or dreamlike way, focusing especially on the role of the river, and the remains of the Abbey. 7) What are your plans in the future? Right now I can't think past the exhibition in February, I have so much to do and so little time in which to do it. But I hope it will be the start of something rather than the end of anything. 8) How this experience helped your career? So far it has stopped my career ending, kickstarted it again, and given me renewed ambitions and focus. It has helped me realise that if I am not making art then I am not myself, and therefore not complete. Is there anything else you would like to say? Yes - THANK YOU - to Laura, to Steve Drury, and to Carole Pluckrose. I'm working hard, trying my best, and I hope I won't let anyone down. Dagenham based artist Michael Hlousek-Nagle will finish his residency with a must watch show taking place at the Boathouse Creative Studios on Friday February 23rd 2018, 6pm-9pm. Click here for more information: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-full-sail-to-the-sinister-michael-hlousek-nagle-tickets-42418435683?aff=efbeventtix There was something quite unique about Mengqi He’s ways of perceiving religion and spiritual experience and we wanted to give the artist the opportunity to talk about her work in our Exhibition "Codes Of Faith". Mengqi He took her inspiration from Heart Sutra, the Buddhist wisdom about life and death. It explored ways to approach satisfaction, as well as ways to relieve the pains of daily life. The lightness and the connection between religion and religious texts are key areas of interest which she looks to explore. From her work in Laura’s gallery, we could read her ways of understanding religion: human lives are meaningless, the emptiness inside our bodies are like a toy with strings around joints; once the strings are cut, bodies would naturally fall apart. The weight of air inside balloons represents human bodies, which die out quick; writings are like our individual souls. Once our bodies decayed, souls will eventually be released back into the ground - just like the poem she repeatedly wrote in Chinese calligraphy. Existence of humans: Human and animal presence is positive, interactive, and manipulative, unlike objects made from nature, which are still and innocent. However, humans, like other objects, can be manipulated through the environment, nature and thoughts. Humans are just like toys with strings, dancing around tables. But somehow, religion is also part of human existence, and without human existence, we would not know if religion would ever exist. Watch this fantastic journey of one of our exhibiting talented artists, Kaat Stieber from the moment she first creates the artwork until the moment when she arrives at our gallery in Barking.The work is now available to see and purchase until the 20th of December 2017 only at Laura I. Gallery . We were so happy with the turnout at the exhibition. Along with music from star singer songwriter Justin Coultrup, an amazing speech from Cllr. Saima Ashraf and the emotional speech from our very own gallery owner and curator Laura Iosifescu, the evening was a resounding success. In Laura's own words, "This exhibition isn’t just about exhibiting fantastic art. This exhibition is about bringing people together from different cultures and backgrounds, and the event was a great success from this point of view." Guests had attended the exhibition from as far afield as France and America, saying as it was such a unique event, they had to see it for themselves. Laura continued, "The next step is to encourage people to give even more support to the artists in the exhibition, because they are extremely talented. Without sharing their work, and buying their work, these artists cannot continue spreading the joy around the world. Life is tough, but in spite of all the challenges they put themselves out there. They make themselves vulnerable with their all heart, so they can make this world a better place." In fact, Laura was herself deliberating about whether to speak about her own experiences, some of which were painful and kept secret for many years. Sometimes it is easier to remain detached, however she showed her humanity by sharing her story on the night, despite feeling nervous. She said, "Even though I found it very difficult to talk about things that are very personal to me, I knew that I must act like a leader. I put myself out there first, exposed. I wanted people to understand that they are not just looking at an object in our exhibition - what they are seeing is a vision, experiencing an ideal, and meeting a real person." She continued, "It is easy to talk about insignificant things like the weather, or other day to day aspects of our lives, but faith is the most personal one. Faith is the spiritual foundation of every living person on this planet. That's what makes us human, not machines." When looking at these artworks, the intention is for the viewer to see the person behind the work - to listen to their story, and find for ourselves compassion for that person. As Laura puts it, "Taking consideration for another person in spite of our differences is one of the most beautiful qualities about being human." The exhibition ends on the 20th of December so there is still plenty of time to visit and see it for yourself. Please don’t forget to let us know about your visit in advance so we can make sure you receive a proper greeting. You can view images from last night's private viewing on our website here. All the photos were taken by the talented photographer Przemek Sekula. We had such a fantastic time and Przemek have provided us with the perfect keepsakes; He truly has captured all the special moments, the emotions... and the event atmosphere beautifully. www.shamackphotography.co.uk We have lots of beautiful gifts in store at the gallery if you're looking for inspiration for Christmas presents, including gorgeous handmade jewellery by Kavitha, striking prints, inspirational paintings, Viorela 3D mesmerizing cards, right through to magical and unique handmade Christmas baubles by our very own Laura Iosifescu, who is accepting commissions for bespoke baubles to order. See how these baubles are made by clicking here and get your commission in quick! Meet the very talented and original Sarah Hill ,one of our prize winning artists of a free studio space provided by the amazing sponsors Icehouse Quarter in collaboration with Roof Property LLP. Sarah`s practice focuses on drawing and performance. Her unusual mode of performing captivated us and provoked huge curiosity among our visitors . Here is our interview with her: What was your opinion of the exhibition? It was upbeat, positive, well curated and diverse. I liked seeing and hearing the artists personally speak about their works at the Artist Talks event which happened on Saturday 9th September 2017. What did the prize mean to you? I was very happy to be chosen, and this opportunity was a privilege. I kept a small separate sketchbook of my time in the studio space from the beginning to the end of the experience, so I could record what happened each day. How did you use the opportunity? I have been drawing, writing and thinking a lot inside the space, on every possible day that I could come to the studio. What did you like most about the space? I enjoyed the river views, the location which is near the town centre of Barking, the size of the studio space and the high amount of natural light in the space. It was also very quiet and I could concentrate fully. Occasionally I saw some of the other business occupants in the building and they were very friendly. What have you created in the space? I have been working on two large scale drawings, which I would definitely not have had the space to work on in my bedroom where I live. One drawing I completed is 120cm x 180cm, and the roll of paper I am working on at the moment is 1.5m x 10m. What is your work about? My drawings are quite obsessive, monochrome, detailed and include text. Any performance work I do is an extension of, or influenced by, my drawings. What are your plans for the future? I will shortly be moving into a shared studio space in north London, and will be continuing with the work I have been focusing on at The Malthouse. Also, since we are nearing the end of the year, I am going to self reflect on what has happened this year with my artwork, and then plan for next year. How this experience helped your career? This is the first time that I have used a studio space as a graduate, as I have previously only used studio spaces in a Higher Education context as a student. So this experience will help me transition to my next studio space, and has gave me the chance to think about what I can use a studio space for, and which ways I work best. Is anything else you would like to say? Thank you very much to Laura and Rooff Ltd for this opportunity. I have really enjoyed my time in the Malthouse (Studio 7), and it was nice to be only a stone's throw away from Laura's gallery too. BUY ART FOR YOUR OFFICE Picture it; you step into reception and see a garden art mural. What does this tell you about the company?Daring,adventurous,authentic ,relaxed ,confident, exciting, revolutionary perhaps? Or instead there’s a piece of vibrant and colourful modern art on the wall. Are they now upbeat, energised, cutting edge? How about a unique perspective on the surrounding area - established, a part of the community? It’s for this reason that more and more companies, both big and small, have turned to art to create an encouraging, exciting workplace, fuel their creativity and express their individual personality and values. Sparked partly by the need to create and express a recognisable brand that customers, clients and employees alike can relate to, art has now become an extension of business - acting as an explanation, introduction and motivator that also enhances the workspace, all in a way that requires no lengthy descriptions and which anyone can understand. With the right approach, walking into a meeting suddenly becomes exciting. For the client meanwhile, leaving that meeting becomes an affirming experience – underlining that they are indeed doing business with the right people. The list of companies using art to express, encourage and promote their brand shows just how seriously it’s being taken – including HSBC, Panasonic, IBM, UBS and Deutsche Bank to name just a few, whilst Google has said, “Our mission is to create amazing work environments that help our people perform at their very best each and every day.” Despite the potential rewards however, many companies still fear investing in art, seeing it as a risky move, or perhaps worried about tackling a subject they know little or nothing about. This is why using an art gallery to begin your collection or improve and enhance your space can really pay off. By bringing years of experience and a trained eye to play on your behalf, they can help select work that expresses who you are, encouraging and promoting your brand in a way that demonstrates what you stand for and how you want to be perceived by clients, customers and employees alike, as well as improving your cultural reputation in the community and creating a meaningful work environment. Laura I. Gallery assists clients by offering a multitude of solutions and finding the option that suits you best - from trade sales, to art rental schemes or dressing individual spaces. Art works on many levels - make it work for you. CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE The young Laura I. Gallery once again takes the lead in the art business and reserves a place in the finalist’s table at the prestigious Thames Gateway Business Awards. The announcement follows a demanding judging process in which the judges will be visiting our gallery to see for themselves the quality of our work we represent and hear more about our visions to make a change in the community and beyond. Laura Iosifescu said: “It is wonderful to have been recognised by the judges in this way. This is a great endorsement of the efforts and commitment we put in every single project we run in the gallery.” This nomination is a statement that success follows passion in spite of challenges and it is a privilege and hopefully an inspiration for thousands of people that wish to pursue their dreams. We are now all looking forward to welcoming the judges to our gallery, so that we can show them the difference we make in people's lives with our creative work. The winners of the Thames Gateway Awards will be announced at a prestigious ceremony at the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf on 27 October 2017.  Now That`s What I Call Art -Private View All the credits for the photos goes to the talented :Daura Alytiene .https://www.dauragasiunaite.
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Quote of the day"An artwork is a prophecy of possibilities"Laura Iosifescu 
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