Meet the Vendor: LaLa Art & Design
By Sarah Hurley
Left: Laura Holland. Right: LaLa Art & Designs items at Minkology.
Born and raised in Randolph County, Laura Holland has always had an artistic eye. Growing up in a creative family, she fondly remembers taking watercolor classes with her parents at the Randolph Arts Guild in Downtown Asheboro in the 1990s. Although her mother passed away soon after, Laura’s joyful memories of their time creating artwork together continue to remind her of good times shared with her family.
Laura received no formal training in studio art, but she did study interior design in college, where she completed art courses to satisfy learning requirements in design elements. She worked professionally for several years thereafter in interior design before going to work for Asheboro City Schools, where she now serves as Asheboro High School’s librarian.
While working full-time, Laura continued to paint on the side. But she didn’t think seriously about building a business until her niece hosted a local pop-up shop a few years ago. Laura asked if she could display some of her watercolor designs, and when they were successful, she decided it was time to take the leap into uncharted waters, founding LaLa Art & Design to share her brightly colored watercolor masterpieces with the world.
Laura began with small, simple prints of her painted topiaries, pumpkins, flowers, animals, and other fun designs. Over time, her inventory grew to include items such as notecards, recipe cards, coffee mugs, Christmas ornaments, and garden flags. While watercolor is her preferred medium, she also dabbles in abstract acrylic painting and even took a class on oil painting at Randolph Community College in 1991. On commission, she has completed house paintings and pet portraits (including one for her equally artsy BFF, Minkology vendor Mary Luck!), and she recently illustrated a “Save the Date” for a wedding featuring a print of the bride-to-be’s church. Her favorite thing about LaLa Art & Design is that it gives her the opportunity to bring customers’ visions to life and smiles to their faces.
Her Asheboro Matchbox prints are especially popular; boasting the building facades and logos of local staples like The Table, Golden Waffle, Central Bakery, Sir Pizza, and the North Carolina Zoo, these pieces are the perfect addition to any Asheboro residence. Her prints of local high schools’ and universities’ buildings and landmarks are equally beloved.
Minkology has proudly stocked LaLa Art & Designs for two years now. Laura loves having a direct connection to her local community and appreciates that we are able to contact her on customers’ behalf when people want custom orders, sizes, or other requests. Since she is currently out of school for the summer, she is looking forward to expanding her inventory to include prints of more local high schools, colleges, and landmarks, and to begin toying with ideas for Christmas items!
If you are interested in commissioning a custom LaLa Art & Design order, you can find Laura on Instagram and Etsy, or contact her directly at thelalaartanddesign@gmail.com.