Artwork copyright Laura Ross-Paul. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

In the Silent Protection of the Forest, 1983

Laura Ross-Paul
American

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

In the Silent Protection of the Forest is an expressive painting created by artist Laura Ross-Paul. She created the composition by layering oil paint over pigmented plaster. She let her gestural forms, layered colors, and textures guide the imagery as she painted. She notes, "The painting depicts a young fawn deer with large vacant eyes, curled up in the center of a dark looming forest. The fawn lies on a pink, egg-shaped form. While I was laying pigment down in the dark area surrounding the fawn, the brushwork began to build up in a rich circular way, reminding me of a bird's nest. I emphasized this quality to promote the feeling of security within the bowels of the forest's darkness."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.

About the Artist

Laura Ross-Paul is a Portland, Oregon-based artist. She received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Portland State University. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Fort Wrright College in Spokane, Washington. She states, "I think of my work as a personal landscape of emotions. The two emotions in life which interest me the most are the intimate and the heroic and I seek to combine these in my work."