Laura Kupac (she/her/hers)

Grants Pass, OR

“As soon as I got home from the hospital one of the first things I tried was painting. I knew my drawing ability had been affected but I could not imagine never painting again so my style changed considerably. I stopped focusing on drawing and started to work with colors and textures. I would love to make this my career.”

A vibrant upbringing and spirit of innovation despite medical experiences have influenced Laura to become the painter she is today. Laura was born and raised in Brazil by an immigrant Italian and Croatian mother and a Brazilian flight engineer father who was educated in the United States. Coming from such colorful origins, she took to the arts from a young age. Her father bought her the first watercolor set when she was 5. By 31, she had already lived in Australia, Germany and the United States, where she decided to make her home with her sons.

In 2013, she suffered a stroke during a brain aneurysm rupture repair surgery. Her recovery was fueled by the desire to become a professional artist. Laura shares, “Life is like a palette and we pick which colors we want to mix on it. I choose the bright ones.” Growing up amidst the vibrant landscape, flowers, and water across several cities in Brazil, she absorbed the colors and sights she found in the natural beauty around her. Now living in Southern Oregon, she is still enveloped in nature, trees, and beauty. 

Through her representation at ArtLifting, her work has been purchased by Fortune 500 companies to decorate and inspire workspaces at corporates offices throughout the country. Locally, Laura displayed her originals at different venues before COVID shut down those opportunities. 

Fate was not done trying to muddy Laura’s palette. In 2020 she started losing her dexterity due to Rheumatoid arthritis and other linked auto-immune conditions. “I’ll just have to find another way and/or medium to create with,” she expresses. Laura spends these days in her art studio experimenting with different materials and techniques. She believes the best is yet to come.