Laura Brainard Raborn
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Featured in Galleries Worldwide
Exploring Humanity's Connection Through Art
Workshop Instructor
People Watching Museum Series
Painted during COVID, when going to museums felt impossible and I really missed watching people get lost in art.
So I painted what I was missing—people standing in front of paintings, leaning in close, taking their time. I was thinking about why museums exist and what they provide for the public. Museum exhibits bring ideas and information to people, another way of communicating. Film, music, dance, poetry, literature, art, are all ways of communicating.
You can wander, and learn because you choose to. Museums offer the public a place to just be with ideas. This allows us, on our own terms, to choose to break free from the natural confines of our own perspective and learn about someone else’s experience. I think these are the reasons why I am interested in watching people in museums and trying to capture moments when people are paused, are listening, and are deeply thinking about what they see.
🖼️ These are the last few available in the original group of 38 paintings! Now available through the Shop (please note: due to an artist residency, paintings purchased in the Shop will be shipped or delivered Dec. 1)
🌿 Link in bio to collect
📩 Or DM me with questions
Harbour Island, here they come. 🎨✨
I'm sending these paintings off to Princess Street Gallery in the Bahamas, where they'll be featured in a special event when the gallery reopens this November.
I'm hosting a Sketchbook Retreat in Harbour Island this February, which is your opportunity to see these paintings in person!
There are still a few spots available if you’d like to join us.
🌴 Details and registration are available through the link in my bio.
11/01/2025
October in the studio (and beyond).
A month of painting, drawing, planning, and reflecting. A lot of October was spent on the less glamorous side of being an artist — the admin work! Plenty of hours behind the computer.
I did manage to step away to attend the film The Alabama Solution, thanks to the Arkansas Cinema Society and the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. Celebrated my friend Amy’s birthday, and packed up paintings headed to Princess Street Gallery in Harbour Island. Exciting work, but it takes serious prep. I’m worn out.
Much of October was also spent preparing for my Sketchbook Retreat happening this February in Harbour Island, Bahamas. If you have been thinking about joining, I would love to have you there.
Today, I’m off to Mexico for an Art Residency and will be sharing photos soon.
Thank you for following along and supporting my work. 🩵
The Sketchbook Art Retreat in Harbour Island is for everyone, whether you have been painting for years or have not picked up a pencil in ages.
Art-making is about curiosity, not perfection.
Come spend four+ days in February in the Bahamas creating, exploring, and filling your sketchbook with color, shape, memories and connection.
✨ Early bird pricing ends November 1st!
🌴 February 23–26, 2026
📍 Harbour Island, Bahamas
DM me with any questions or visit my website for loads details and registration.
My studio clean-out has officially spilled into the rest of the house… so, it’s time.
I love posting about the process and stories behind each piece — but often I forget to mention that they’re also available for purchase.
If something you’ve seen here has caught your eye, feel free to reach out — I’m happy to answer any questions.
🖼️ You can also visit the Shop on my website (link in bio) to see what’s currently available.
Join me for an unforgettable sketchbook retreat on Harbour Island. Using a sketchbook allows us to escape and engage at the same time. Worries and darting thoughts fall away, making room for focus and calm. The creative act moves us from left to right brain thinking, where wonder and curiosity soar. This is a great gift that can continue to serve you well though life!
This is for you if you want to:
Travel in a creative way, seeing a beautiful place through the eyes of your inner artist
Overcome fear of perfection in your creative process
Enjoy the benefits of using a sketchbook and learn loads of fun drawing tips
Travel with a friend or alone, and make new friendships during the art outings
Enjoy a balance of structured guided time and free time
✨ The retreat is half full and “Early Bird” pricing ends November 1st. So now is the time to grab your spot!
Link in bio to secure your spot.
Promoting is not the part I love. Creating, teaching, and connecting are what keep me doing this work.
Thank you for being here and for supporting the art that makes it possible. 🩵
For more information on the Sketchbook Retreat coming up in February, visit my website and click Island Retreat in the menu.
You’ll find all the details there, along with registration information.
Early bird pricing ends November 1.
If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message.
10/22/2025
Emerging, 2022
Mixed media on watercolor paper, 30x27
This piece is part of an ongoing body of work combining the human figure with elements from nature — and a subtle layer of text beneath the surface.
It’s a study in balance, connection, and the ways we evolve quietly over time.
Unframed and ready to ship in a tube.
🎨 Available now through the Studio Sale — link in bio to view or inquire directly.
10/21/2025
“I don't think there's any artist of any value who doesn't doubt what they're doing.” — Francis Ford Coppola
At every workshop, there's a moment when someone says,
“I’m not an artist”
or
“I’m afraid I’ll mess it up.”
Once we loosen our grip on expectations, we can lean into the joyful flow of looking closely and focusing on the lines, shapes, and beauty in the world.
You don’t have to be fearless to make art.
You just have to show up.
🌴 Want to experience this for yourself?
Join me for the Harbour Island Sketchbook Art Retreat in February - for 4 days of gentle creativity + connection. I'll hold your hand (literally if need be!) through all the steps of learning to make art about a special place.
✨ HURRY! Early bird pricing ends Nov 1.
🔗 Link in bio for retreat details.
It’s not always tidy. Or quiet. Or clear.
But this little room—this messy, paint-splattered space—is where ideas begin to take shape. Actually, the ideas usually develop in my sleep, and then make their way to existence here in the studio.
The sketching. The layering. The problem-solving. The failures. The starting over. The successes.
Whether I’m prepping for a show, testing a new technique or material, or just chasing a vision—I come here to figure it out.
Thanks for stepping inside for a moment. 💛
🎨 Want to see some finished pieces? Book a studio visit this week! And see a few originals now available in the Shop—link in bio. Message me if you have any questions. Thanks!
Recently I was prepping the studio for a collector visit…
I laid out a selection of works—each one holding memories, textures, and quiet moments from the past few years.
It’s always interesting to revisit old work. Some pieces feel like old friends. Others surprise me—like I’m seeing them for the first time.
I love the opportunity to see the work with fresh eyes, rediscovering each piece.
Thanks for stepping behind the scenes with me. 🩵
10/15/2025
All the Same
24 x 18 in | Mixed Media on Paper | 2021
Now available in the Shop
Layers of text, portrait, and greenery converge in this piece—each one hand-built with collage, acrylic gel medium, white pencil, and paint.
The writing is subtle. The emotion, not so much.
This work is part of a larger exploration of identity, protection, and the quiet resilience that lives in us all.
Unframed and ready to ship in a tube.
🎨 Link in bio to view in the Shop
📩 DM with questions or to inquire directly
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