Artist Interview - Laura Comito, Artworks Studio

One of my favorite feelings in life is the one you get when you realize you have met “one of your people.” It’s an excitement, an embodiment of time flying while you have fun, and a feeling of kindred spirits. The last time I met one of my people, her mom high-fived me.

It’s one of my happy places!

The first time I stopped by Artworks Studio, in Carroll, Iowa, I was expecting it to be a wine-and-paint shop. It is so much more, with such a variety of both art and supplies, and a drool-worthy workshop area in the back full of tables and stools with walls of shelves and drawers filled with creative treasures beyond belief. I spoke for a while with Cecelia Comito (Laura’s sister) and she said, “Laura needs to meet you.” She knew I was one of their people, and I was beginning to realize they were my people. Now, every time I tell my husband I’m stopping by Artworks, he knows he won’t see me for hours. I really do try to keep it short; I just get lost in talking about anything and everything with them!

Classic Comito: A Frida shirt and a Wonderland themed assemblage!

Laura Comito is a multi-talented artist. Similar to myself, I don’t think she’s able to settle on just one medium to use for the rest of her life. Her favorite medium to use, however, is jewelry. She enjoys blending colors and textures into wearable art. She also creates mixed media and collage art of a variety of subjects.

She creates her jewelry under the name “Terra Bella Jewelry.”

Comito is currently working on a mixed media collage with tiled mosaic of Frida Kahlo (you can tell when you walk into Artworks Studio that Comito is a huge Frida fan, that flowery unibrow is all over the place!) Her next project is the set design for Water Rocks! The Musical.

Art in progress!

Comito teaches classes on the subjects of mixed media art journaling, assemblage, mosaic, and stained glass. When I asked her what her favorite tool for creating art is, she replied, “Holy cow! You mean I have to just pick one? For my 2-D mixed media work it would have to be a Pitt Pen.” (I use Faber Castell Pitt Pens for my drawings, too!)

A work-in-progress shot

“Procrastination and having too many ideas in my head sometimes keeps me from producing,” she admitted. Her advice to artists starting out? “Just do it. Every single day. Not everything you create will be a masterpiece but all those few minutes here, a half hour there, all add up in the long run. Art is just like anything else in life, it takes constant practice.” And she’s right! I believe that artists are their own worst critics, and we scrutinize our own art worst of all. It’s alright if not everything you create is award-winning or sells as soon as you finish it (or before, wouldn’t that be a great problem to have!) We are all working to improve our craft.

“If anyone tells you that you can’t – prove them wrong.”

To see Comito’s artwork and meet her in person, stop by Artworks Studio in Carroll, IA, or you can visit the website 24/7 at www.artworksstudio.art. You can also find her on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.