To a Wayward Bison
Linocut Print (reduction) 16x20
does anybody know the difference between a bison and a buffalo?


Ode to the Number Two
Linocut Print 16x20

I've decided that I'm going to start posting things I know I'd cherish if I had them:

1. All the old disney movies...from a certain era (aka, the era that left all the animations a little bit scratchy, and at some point or another used jazz music):

-Sword in the Stone
-Robin Hood
-Jungle Book
-101 Dalmations
-Aristocats

ODES [to things]
An amalgamation of work by Laura Baisden



This is my first show since graduating college two years ago. To make myself proud and re-earn my diploma (so to speak), I aimed for a cohesive body of work—worthy of a thesis. As I started creating things, I realized that instead of sticking with something nice and structured, I kept jumping ship and drawing whatever I wanted. I felt like the parent of a spoiled two year old, who—in an effort to maintain some sense of efficiency and productivity—says, “FINE. You feel like drawing squirrels when you were supposed to be making landscapes? Whatever. Just have fifteen by September 12th.” Which in turn, became the antithesis of cohesiveness. Or so I thought…



ODES [to things] is about what image, thing, or person was valuable or striking enough that I felt like taking the time to make it art. To a Wayward Bison, for instance—I’ve never seen a bison. I don’t even know the difference between a bison and a buffalo, and yet…I wanted to make him. I thought he was stoic and beautiful. A conversation about hitch hiking inspired me to make Ode to Wishful Thinking. When I made Your Father Wants to Have Breakfast With You, I recreated a memory from a visit home when my dad mentioned he wanted to take me to Audrey’s and have pancakes. At the time, my mom said, ”Did your father tell you that he wants to have breakfast with you?” It was a quietly momentous occasion, so I put it down on paper. The moral of the story is, for whatever reason, I’ve made what I’ve made.
Hope you like it.

i'm living with a mouse. he's tiny and cute, and every once in a while I hear him chewing on things like packets of parmesan cheese from papa john's. why can't mice just hang out and only eat packets of parmesan cheese? instead of chewing on expensive chocolate bars, breeding, and pooping everywhere. I'd be happy to have them if that were the case!

ODE TO WISHFUL THINKING- this drawing came from a conversation I had with my pal Jessi. We were talking about picking up (or not picking up) hitch hikers. I think it's ridiculous that we've mopped ourselves into a corner and can't help each other out. The horror stories have sowed themselves into our subconscious and won't allow us to do the right thing. I imagine that half of the time, the guy sitting on the roadside is just plain stuck and needs a little help from someone who can spare a second--it's the other half of the time, when the only person crazy enough to hitch hike is a crazy person and makes it risky to help out. We talked about it for while and by the end of the conversation, I was just so pissed that we can't trust each other to the point that our first instinct is fear and accusation when it comes to the homeless and the hitch hiker. The person who's having to live at rock bottom could use a helping hand, but there are those who've jaded the hand-lenders by asking too much, or worse yet, turning out to be sociopaths. We aren't even free to be helpful for fear of the worst. So, the piece is called "wishful thinking," not because the homeless guy is wishing things would look up (although maybe...)--but it's from me. I wish we could get each other out of this mess.

On a lighter note, the show is UP! I'm so relieved. Granted I still have to go in and post my artist statement and all of my contact info, so that people know who I am...BUT, still...it feels like 9,000 pounds have fallen off my shoulders. I feel good about how it looks. Here's hoping I keep it up, and keep having shows.

Please come to the show opening at Portland Brew East on Friday night (September 19th) from 6-9 and see the work!

I'm trying to do a little professional housekeeping with Rufus B. Ellington. Since I made postcards with the blog advertised, I figure I should actually back it up and have some photos of my artwork. (And maybe a few less personal anecdotes?) These past few weeks have been insane. I'm never one to work without a little pressure, but I've been thriving lately.