My name is Laura Barley and I’m the artist behind Paper Whiskers. I live in Wakefield, West Yorkshire with my lovely husband Jay. I am and have always been an animal lover. I’ve always had many pets, which was intensified when I worked in a pet shop for many years and seemed to bring every creature home (much to my parents’ frustration!). Currently, my furry family consists of two cats (Lotti and Millie) which is more than enough!
Me with plaster "Dream Sculptures" at university
I have always been happiest when doing something creative, even as a young child. I used to make houses complete with furniture for my toys and I once made a whole family of robots from old pop bottles. Art is my main passion and I have always relished any opportunity to draw, paint, make and sculpt.
I followed my interest in art by completing a foundation course in art, followed by a degree in Fine Art at Leeds College of Art (Now Leeds Art University). I found that I had a passion for sculpture and I also enjoyed creating art that involved putting together different materials and patterns to create interesting effects. This eventually led me to discover my enjoyment of paper collage.
My first paper collage portrait - Millie
During my spare time whilst working as a primary school teacher, I made a paper collage of my cat using some wallpaper samples that I had picked up. I’ve always been quite good at cutting really complicated shapes using scissors so I was able to create the tiny details quite easily. I realised that not only did I enjoy working with paper as a medium, I also had managed to achieve a fairly good likeness of my cat, Millie (see image). This led me to create more collages and I began to create them as gifts for friends and family.
After 5 years of teaching, I decided that it was time for a new challenge. I wanted to get back to doing what makes me happy so I launched Paper Whiskers in February 2020 as a business selling my artwork and creating personalised pet portraits. I love exhibiting my work and you'll often find me at art/craft markets as I feel that my work is best seen in person to appreciate it fully.
The Art Department, Paisley (Scotland)
Gallery@oxo, Oxo Tower Wharf, London
Finalist in the top 100
Rose Patterson Gallery, Weston Park, Shifnal
The Art Department, Paisley (Scotland)
The Station, Richmond (North Yorkshire)
Rose Patterson Gallery, Weston Park, Shifnal
The Civic, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire
The Station, Richmond (North Yorkshire)
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