I left teaching to start a mural painting business called Cobalt Designs and focus on my own artwork. For years I only worked in sketchbooks, performing art therapy on myself. In 2006 I finally started working outside my sketchbook and had my first art show.

In 2007 I moved to New York where I work as a freelance scenic painter, mostly on Christmas windows like Macy’s. I also do set design and body painting/airbrushing under the name 2nd Skin. I’ve held art shows with various galleries, self published zines, and even done occasional street art under the name Karat. I’ve also hosted, organized, and helped produce a variety of eclectic events.

After struggling to find a home for my artwork for years, I'm happy to announce I've found a home in the world of comics. My debut graphic novel "Page by Paige was released by Abrams Books in May 2011! It’s the story of my own journey as an artist and as a transplant in New York, translated for a young adult audience. And it's been nominated for the YALSA recommended books for young readers list for 2012! I'm currently working on a new graphic novel with a whole new character and visual style, which I'm very excited about.

Thanks for visiting my website! Here is a more detailed list of my past shenanigans in case you're interested in my credentials...

Literary Appearances/Workshops:
Baltimore Comic Con (Baltimore, MD) Artist Alley. 2011
Kids Comic Con. (Bronx, NY) Artist Alley and Workshop. 2011
Book Expo America (New York, NY) Author Speed Dating Event. 2011
Book Court (Brooklyn, NY) Workshop: Mirror Self Portraits. 2011
WORD Books (Brooklyn, NY) Workshop: Word Self Portraits. 2011
MOCCA (New York, NY) Signing. 2011
Powerhouse Books (Brooklyn, NY) Presentation/ Book Launch Event. 2011
Brooklyn Comics & More (Brooklyn, NY) Free Comic Book Day book signing. 2011
Great Neck Library (Great Neck, NY) Presentation. 2011
Nassau Country Library Association. (Garden City,NY) Guest speaker at YASD luncheon. 2011
Suffolk County Library. (Bellport, NY) Teen Workshop. 2011
Brooklyn Book Festival (Brooklyn, NY) Panelist. 2011
King Con (Brooklyn, NY) Panelist: Hips, Lips, and Pencil Tips. 2010
New York Comic Con (New York, NY) Signing. 2010

Art Shows:
Crest Hardware Art Show (Brooklyn, NY) group show (June 2011)
Blue Ridge Community College: (Weyers Cave, VA) Art show "Personal Perspectives." (Oct 2010)
Live Painting: At Central Park Summerstage through Ad Hoc Art. (Aug 2010)
Willoughby Windows: Public art installation in Downtown Brooklyn. (May 2010-Aug 2011)
HiChristina! Art Space: Art show "Laura Lee and Friends" (Aug 2009)
Ad Hoc Gallery: Art show "In Transit." (May 2009)
HiChristina! Art Space: (NY, NY) Art shows "Spill It!" (Aug 2008)
Ad Hoc Gallery: group show “Bushwick Open Studio Exhibition” (June 2008)
Ad Hoc Gallery: (Brooklyn, NY) group show "Pop Subversion" (Feb 2008)
Starr Hill Gallery: “Out of Africa” (July 2007)
The Artful Dodger: (Harrisonburg, VA) “99 Versions of Laura Lee on the Wall” (Sept 2006)
Starr Hill Gallery: (Charlottesville, VA) “99 Versions of Laura Lee on the Wall” (Aug 2006)
Sidetracks Music: (Charlottesville, VA) “Drawn from Music”(June 2006)
Abundant Life Chiropractic: (Charlottesville, VA) “Prints from Sketchbook 4” (April 2006)
Fellini’s Restaurant: (Charlottesville, VA) “The Four Seasons” (Feb 2006)

Event Production (New York, NY):
Red Bull Creation: live collaborative murals at 3rd Ward and McCarren Park (Producer) 2011, via Adam Aleksander Presents.
Hendrick’s Gin Enchanted Forest of Curiosities (Set Design, floor manager, co-producer) 2010, with Adam Aleksander Presents.
Comic Creationizm (Hostess, co-producer) 2010 , with HiChristina!
Fortune Telling Tattoo Parlor at Stranded (set deign and main producer) 2010, through Winkel & Balktik.
Cr(n)ude Drawing (Hostess, co-producer) 2010, with HiChristina!
Human Printmaking at FIGMENT (co-producer) 2010, with 2nd Skin.
Battlestar Galactica Forum. (Panel moderator, co-producer) 2009, at Galapagos.
Carnivale of Ascension (set design,co-producer) 2009, with Adam Aleksander Presents.
Ascension of Death haunted house (set design, co-producer, performer) 2009, with Adam Aleksander Presents.
Writers & Cartoonists Show N Tell (Hostess, producer) 2009, with HiChristina!
Open Mic: Puppet Edition (Hostess, producer) 2009, with HiChristina!
Fake Art Therapy Night (Hostess, producer) 2009, with HiChristina!
Frak Earth: an evening of Battlestar Galactica (Hostess, producer) 2009, with HiChristina!
BYOD: Bring your own diary (Hostess, producer) 2008, with HiChristina! interactive art space.
Let Your Hand Do the Talking: Collaborative Nonverbal Drawing (Hostess, producer) 2008, with HiChristina!

Scenic Painting:
I've worked seasonally on Christmas window displays for Macy’s, Saks, and Lord & Taylor. I've also worked on windows for Bloomingdales, Marshall Fields, Hudson Bay, Dylan's Candy Bar, Foxwoods Casino, and Home Depot. (Spaeth Design 2007-2011) I've also freelanced for Largent Studios, Daedelus, Nightmare Haunted House, Lincoln Center, Two Boots, Adam Aleksander Presents, BAM, We Came In Peace Design, The Noble Rot, Brooklyn Guild, and Geoff Howell Studio. (2007-2011)
I have experience using airbrushes, spray guns, sign painting, lettering & calligraphy, faux textures, aging/distressing, woodgraining, painting on glass, painting on scrim, trompe l’oiel murals, glitter applique, stenciling, applying gold leaf, applying vinyl lettering, basic sculpture skills (foam carving), caulking, sanding/filling, operating a scissor lift, working with scaffolding, working with plaster/aqua resin/bondo, metal etching, bookbinding, pottery, weaving, dying, silk painting, stained glass, hand sewing, basic drapery, crafts, mosaics, chalkboard illustration, printmaking, paper making, prop styling, and throwing around fake blood.

Other Honors:
Nominated for the YALSA Recommended Books For Young Readers list for 2012 (2011)
Guest lecturer: Blue Ridge Community College and James Madison University. (2008-10)
Voted “Best Artist” by readers of C-Ville: Charlottesville’s News and Arts Weekly (2006)
Presenter: National Art Education Association national conference: Denver, CO. (2004)
Received the Crystal Theodore Service with Scholarship Award by JMU art faculty (2001)