ABOUT LAURA

Hi! I'm Laura...

To let you know a bit about me, I'm a visual artist, life caster & mold maker and received my BFA in Studio Art back in 2008. I founded Gravenstine Studio the same year. Since then, I've been hired for numerous private commissions, custom commercial art pieces and have worked as a life casting consultant to several prominent emerging, mid-career, and established installation artists and sculptors. In addition, I've worked in a variety of fields where life casting has been invaluable, such as with cosmetic surgery clientele, pet casting, museum/artifact conservation & architectural restoration!

I've created custom art works for Vogue US, Tiffany & Co., Victoria's Secret, Waldorf Astoria NY, Barney's NY & designers such as Christian Louboutin, Chloe & Lanvin/Elbaz, and have also created props & life casts for several Broadway & Off-Broadway plays.

In addition to my 3D commercial work, I also am a visual artist & love to create pieces that are organic in theme & medium. When I'm not creating, I love to spend time in nature, ride tandem on an eboard with my partner, travel, cook & read and ponder the philosophical realms.

I am fully dedicated to the pursuance of art and all of the richness that it offers to the global and local communities as a mode for expressive, healing & innovative communication, beauty & contemplation.

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