Laura Fung painting dreams into reality
Published:Sunday | February 4, 2024 | 12:12 AMKrysta Anderson - Staff Reporter
For Laura Fung, art awakens all the senses. This is evident in everything we see, touch, hear, smell and even feel. So it came as no surprise that she would make the world her canvas and embark upon a journey worthy of ‘champagne popping’ celebration. Specialising in oil paintings, she transfers works of art on to water-resistant framed fabric and bottles of high spirits.
She tells The Sunday Gleaner, “This has been the most amazing journey. Painting had always seemed so intriguing and so inspiring when I’d see any glimpse of other artists on the television as a child, especially when I’d see art prodigies.”
Falling in love with the visual art form at an early age, she attributed her fascination to her travels, courtesy of her parents. “My parents exposed me to a lot of art, architecture and different cultures. They provided me with the tools and materials to be creative. They have always been encouraging,” she shared
It helped that her mother was proactive in craft and engaged in several do-it-yourself (DIY) projects with her daughter as her right-hand assistant.
By the time she was 11 years old, she had transformed into the art prodigy she once admired onscreen, painting abstracts on stretched canvas with acrylic paint. Fung went on to enter the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) visual arts competition, winning gold, silver and bronze medals in the years that followed.
“The 11-year-old me would have never thought she’d be here today, painting anything realistic or being booked for live events. It’s truly a dream come true to be paid to do what I love and to share my work with so many people,” she said.
“I took part in the Liguanea Arts Festival, which was followed by Market at the Lawn when they just started out, and a group show at Olympia Gallery, all while I was still in high school,” she explained further.
And the moment she became 18, she was adulting in the most sophisticated way, hosting her first solo art show in Kingston. Most of her paintings sold on opening night.
But she didn’t stop there. Setting her sights overseas, she studied art a at college in the Big Apple, earning her bachelor’s degree. It was while enrolled that she discovered her love for oil painting.
“I had a lot of formal training with drawing live figures and colour theory and then had an introduction to oil painting. Oil painting was the medium of focus for all of the painting courses for my degree. It possessed capabilities that could not be achieved with acrylic paint and I’ve been painting in that preferred mode ever since.”
After graduating, Fung admitted that she still hadn’t painted a single person. This was a pursuit that came after the fact, honed through trial and error.
The city of New York also sparked an opportunity for her to explore an unconventional form of art, “My friend in New York received a painted bottle as an engagement gift back in 2022 and it seemed like a great idea to capitalise on. Before I could even advertise it, I had received a request for one by the end of that year. And that’s where it all started for the bottle art.”
Since then, she has been offering a host of products and services, namely live event painting, custom bottle art, watercolour paintings, oil painting and custom Christmas ornaments. Showcasing spectacular views, everything, she said, was well received in its own time.
When it comes to the creative process behind the scenes, she is always planning ahead to ensure that her time is organised and managed well in order to meet the specific deadlines. “Whatever the item ordered, I usually have to prep the canvas or bottle before I start painting. I rarely get to work and start painting instantly. Typically I need some time to settle and get into work mode. Once I do, it’s incredible to be able to enjoy working on a painting. It’s very calming and therapeutic,” Fung revealed.
Two of her favourite pieces include the first bottle painting she ever did for a couple’s wedding day and a commissioned painting of Usain Bolt and Nugent Walker in a music studio. “I’ll forever love the first bottle painting. The moment that couple chose to have painted was absolutely beautiful. And the commissioned piece is one of my favourites because it was the most detailed picture that I’ve been commissioned to paint so far. It involved so many intricate aspects and I had the most amazing time painting every single thing, from the plants peeking through in the far background outside, to the textured detail on the rug in the foreground. It turned about to be an absolutely breathtaking piece,” the artist highlighted.
Noting that the island makes it difficult to source necessary supplies for her work, she is truly grateful for her wonderful support system, “My parents and my brother have always had my back. My brother is my biggest critic and ensures that I put out my best work. My fiancé and my best friends have been the biggest hype men and are always rooting for me. They have all commissioned paintings over the years. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my support system and I can’t thank them enough.
Thankfully, she is able to create and paint for a living, much to the delight of her clients who keep her busy. Fung hopes that her work speaks for itself and that in following her heart, she can encourage others to do the same and become a brand associated with Jamaican art and culture.