LAUGHTER PAINTINGS

Laughter constantly enlivens my world. As I laugh with people in laughter club and other laughter yoga sessions, I feel uplifted. It has blessed every aspect of my life with more joy.

Thus, I continue to explore the theme of joy in my art work. I've started a series of small, abstract laughter paintings similar to the laughter portraits I did a few weeks ago. These, however, have no subject matter at all. They represent nothing but pure, unbounded laughter and silliness.

My artistic process is ridiculously simple. I get some paint ready, I laugh, I paint, I laugh, I paint and so forth until the painting seems complete. It is difficult for me to abandon my logical ideas about how a painting should look but that's what I aim to do. I want the painting to capture the essence of laughing joy with the colors, textures and compositions. Below are a few examples.

These paintings are acrylic on a wood block sized 2 1/8" x 3 1/4" x 7/8" and wrapped in celophane. They are priced at just $10 each. Order them at the Laughter Shoppe. You won't know which one you're getting until it arrives. Ha ha ha ha!

HA HA HA ART

Laughing is a wonderful thing. Since becoming a Laughter Yoga teacher, I have had more laughter in my life than ever before. It has boosted my joy so much that it is hard to describe.

So instead of trying to put this joy into words, I decided to put it into art. That's right. I've started doing what I call "Laughter Portraits."  The first 3 are pictured below. The entire process of creating them was infused with laughter. My husband took pictures of the two of us laughing. Then, I used those photos to draw the silhouettes onto canvas. Finally, I filled them in using vibrant colors—actually laughing as I painted. I tried to abandon logical planning and paint more freely and intuitively, allowing the spirit of the laughter to guide me. The result is a physical manifestation of the laughing moment! I hope they give you a giggle or a even a full belly laugh.

These paintings are 24" x 24" — acrylic on canvas.

If you'd like to be a "laughter model" for future paintings, 

e-mail me at laughterlaura@yahoo.com. 

To see more of my art work, please visit

The Gentry Joint.