I’m going to kick off our series of artist features by introducing you all to the work of the wonderfully talented artist Laura Williams. I had the privilege of getting to know Laura when we were co-workers at Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, where Laura currently works as a designer in the art department (my office used to be right next to hers!). I got to see her fantastic design work for Algonquin every day when I was there, but completely fell in love when I first laid eyes on the beautiful illustrations and patterns that she creates outside of the office.

Laura’s creations immediately transport me into a dreamlike version of Nature. Her lush and colorful patterns are filled with images of rain, leaves, petals, fish, and even the inner workings of the body. I can’t help but feel totally encompassed by these images – they create a complete atmosphere around me, and I feel as if I’m under water.

In addition to her patterns and illustrations, Laura has created large scale props for clients such as Ringling Brothers, Saturday Night Live, MTV, and Sesame Street; she has done commissioned illustrations and design for The Wall Street Journal, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Viacom, and many others, and her costumes for dancers have graced the stage at the Guggenheim Museum.

Enjoy perusing the gallery of images on Laura’s website to see more. The Makery looks forward to a long relationship with Laura Williams and her work!