Lara Skinner

My schedule is open

Lara was born and raised in Leicester. When she was 20 she moved to London to do her degree in Graphic Design/Illustration at Camberwell College of Art. She left London and moved back to Leicester in her mid-thirties, met her husband (for the second time — they had previously met at school when eleven) and now lives in rural Lincolnshire. Lara has loved art, painting, drawing and making things since she was very young. She never had to bother the careers teacher at school because she instinctively knew she wanted to be a designer/artist. She never even thought about another career choice, it didn’t occur to her. She loves textures, layering and strong collage, so Joseph Cornell was an early influence along with Kurt Schwitters, Peter Blake and Jean-Michel Basquiat. These days Lara really likes the work of people like Jill Ricci and Waldemar Strempler, introduced to her by her very cool niece Maisie, so she feels like her tastes haven’t changed much. There’s usually a lot going on in Lara‘s work. Lots of layering and different textures. Usually a floral element. Her work can look quite vintage, but with a contemporary bite to it. She used to design record sleeves at the beginning of her career so a big thrill for her was always to go to HMV or Virgin on Oxford Street and Picadilly Circus and spread all her covers out so they spanned a whole wall. Lara has had various London exhibitions at small galleries and her work has been published all over the world thanks to Advocate! Her favourite way to work has always been a layering, collage process whether it’s actually a physical piece or a digital work. Photoshop is her favourite when she‘s working digitally, but recently she‘s regressed back to her college days: she used to make a lot of box art and she‘s feeling the urge to make things like that again. She recently acquired a sewing machine so is learning to sew using fabric she‘s designed – dresses, bags, scarves, that sort of thing. Lara is also learning to quilt — she‘d love to quilt a ‘painting’. Away from her studio she likes to walk, swim and practise yoga. She loves all sorts of music genres so 6Music is her constant companion whether she‘s out and about or designing and creating. There’s usually a lot going on in Lara‘s work. Lots of layering and different textures. Usually a floral element. Her work can look quite vintage, but with a contemporary bite to it. She used to design record sleeves at the beginning of her career so a big thrill for her was always to go to HMV or Virgin on Oxford Street and Picadilly Circus and spread all her covers out so they spanned a whole wallView Full Bio

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Lara Skinner designs spotted in Browns

Oct 28 2020

we love it when we spot our talented artist's designs in card shops, supermarkets and department stores. This week, we're celebrating