About Laura Gravenstine

Laura Gravenstine is a classically trained visual artist, life caster & mold maker who earned a BFA in both Painting & Sculpture in 2008. That same year she launched Gravenstine Studio, which has since become a respected atelier for custom commissions & sculptural services.

Professional Highlights...

- Extensive Commercial & Artistic Collaborations:

Laura has created bespoke work for clients including Vogue US, Tiffany & Co., Victoria's Secret, Waldorf Astoria NY, Barney's NY & distinguished fashion houses such as Christian Louboutin, Chloe & Lanvin/Elbaz.

She has also created life casts & props for several Broadway & Off-Broadway productions such as Angels in America, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying & A Behanding in Spokane.

- Specialized Applications of Life Casting:

Laura has applied her expertise to a diverse range of fields beyond Fashion, including maternity & infant casting, pet casting, cosmetic surgery re-sculpts, museum artifact conservation, architectural restoration & theatrical prop creation

How I Began...

People often ask me how I came to create this type of art work. Here is how.. while I was studying art back in university, my sculpture class had an assignment to choose an artist from a slide show we'd just been shown, & create a sculpture using the same techniques & materials of that particular artist. Out of the 20 different artists, I chose the artist George Segal.

I created a life cast torso in the classical style, & immediately fell in love with the art form. I found that when I cast someone, it captured not only the minute skin details of the individual, but that it also captured what they were feeling at that exact moment in their life. I thought it was utterly splendid!

In 2008, after studying life casting for two and a half years with two different artists & mold makers from Florence, Italy, I started Gravenstine Studio. At the time I had no concept of how many avenues there were for life casting to be utilized in the world beyond art! Even now, 15 years later, I'm still surprised & delighted by the joy, awe & genuine utility it provides.

I'm happy & pleased to still be making art with you all.. !

Laura Gravenstine - Artist & Owner