A lifelong resident of Michigan, Whitesides Host received a BFA from the University of Michigan Architecture and Design School majoring in painting and ceramics.  She has taught art in Ann Arbor and Birmingham to students from 3 years to High School. She and her husband, Brad, took off traveling around the world soon after marrying.  A 6 month journey that took them to places far away, was just the beginning of their passion for traveling and experiencing different cultures and sights. These and life experiences keep appearing in Host’s work.

After moving to Birmingham, she discovered the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center and found her art family.  After taking watercolor classes for 13 years with teachers who were Michigan Water Color Society past presidents Marily Derwenkus and Electra Stamelos and with Sonia Molnar, she began to teach experimental water color classes in 1993 and has continued for 30 years adding monoprints to her teaching schedule.  The excitement of playing with watercolors led to acrylic paint and then a class in monotypes enlarged her focus to creating monotypes along with her water media paintings.  In 1987, after a friend decided to convert her art gallery to a co-op, Host joined the gallery roster.  She is the last of the 12 original members still in Lawrence Street Gallery and currently president.  Active in the Michigan Water Color Society and the Birmingham Society of Women Painters since 1989, Host has served on their executive boards for many years.  Host has had numerous solo shows and has been juried into many exhibits both locally and state-wide.

“I have always been attracted to patterns” says Host,  “be they man-made or occurring in nature – geometric v. organic.  I also like to use both of them to achieve contrasts.  My work can be abstract with suggestions of natural landscapes or nature items.  I get excited with new products and love to experiment with different methods of creating. Just seeing telephone lines breaking up the sky gets me creating and talking about man getting along in nature. I also love incorporating collage items and layering prints by cutting through one print to expose another underneath.  My monotype prints are one of a kind original prints – not duplications or printed editions.  My water media paintings consist of watercolors as well as acrylic and gouache paint – anything that mixes with water.”

Find her Instagram and Facebook sites under her full name: Laura Whitesides Host