Laura Anne El Baroudi

Although I have always had a deep interest in painting and art from an early age, my lack of skills in drawing held me back from painting. I held the view that I could not paint until I had mastered drawing, and having taken courses at different points in my life, I was never satisfied with my drawing skills. During the pandemic, I decided to throw caution to the wind and take a course in acrylic painting despite my deficiencies in drawing. In a few short months, my passion and desire to paint bloomed, and I began painting at night, and on weekends.

Though I have taken some workshops, I would describe myself as a self-taught abstract artist. I mainly paint abstract acrylics on canvas and paper as well as create mixed media collages. I have a passion for painting and creating art that drives me. Painting is a form of expression and communication that gives me an outlet for my inner world. When I paint, I enter a meditative flow in which time becomes fluid, and all that exists in that moment is the painting.

For me, creating art is a way of reflecting on my inner landscape and then bringing it to the surface. I believe that art can provide a therapeutic and spiritual value both to the artist and the observer who interacts with it....

As an intuitive abstract self-taught artist, my art education comes through a variety of sources which include workshops, process videos, and learning from viewing and analyzing the paintings and artworks of others. As I practice and fine tune my own process, my personal style is coming more to the forefront. While many artists focus on a specific style, I am drawn equally to both abstract paintings and collages. For me, my life as an artist is an ongoing journey which brings me closer to my own unique vision as an artist.

I have exhibited paintings at several art galleries in Toronto. I recently exhibited a painting at the Leslie Grove Art Gallery in the Fall. It was a juried art show in September of 2025. Prior to this, I exhibited paintings with a group of local artists at the Women's Art Association of Canada in the Dingham Gallery in December of 2024, and at a local gallery exhibition with the same group of artists at the Papermill Gallery in June of 2025.