Meet the Instructor

Laura Marie Blankenship is a native of Abingdon, Virginia who believes in the transformative power of the arts, Mother Nature, and mindfulness practices. Laura holds a Bachelors in Psychology from William and Mary, but is equally proud of the education she has sought out herself: her 230 hour yoga teacher training, the 1000+ miles she has section hiked on the Appalachian Trail; the 2 years she volunteered on a suicide & crisis hotline; the year she spent a year as a wilderness therapy field guide, and two winters spent teaching ski lessons. You may know Laura if you attend local live music; in 2014 Laura began painting musicians live in concert under the name "LaMB Fine Art'; she has painted over 200 live music paintings, to the music of River Whyless, Amythyst Kiah, Annabelle's Curse, Leftover Salmon, and 49 Winchester, among others. Laura has taken felting, painting, & meditation classes at Penland (NC), Snow Farm (MA), and Blue Ridge Fiber Fest (NC), and annually takes classes and teaches at various primitive skills gatherings. She has taught art in public schools since 2022. Laura's approach to teaching art is "try it and see". At her core, she knows that arts offer us the opportunity to practice experimenting; cultivate confidence in our decision-making skills; and teach us to embrace creative choices both within our artistic projects and in the ongoing, ever-evolving project that is our life, so that we may create something truly new and unique to us. Her students say they leave feeling empowered and safe to be creative artistically, and that they learned the only "right way" to make art is the way that feels right to them.

You can learn about more of Laura's classes and artwork at LAMBFINEART.COM