“Even if I never sold another painting, I would paint anyways.”
For Columbia artist Laura Spong, satisfaction comes from the “process,” as she puts it, not the money.
“I find it a challenge to start with a blank canvas and construct an interesting, complete arrangement of colors with no givens,” Spong said.
Filled with her vibrant paintings, Spong’s workspace in Vista Studios in downtown Columbia demonstrates that she clearly enjoys practicing such a challenge. Canvases almost as tall as and certainly wider than the petite artist herself line the floor and smaller 12 by 12-inch canvases adorn the walls.
Spong pulls out painting after painting, some still wet and then some from the early 90s as she talks about her self-described style of “non-objective expressionism.” Spong said that she never begins a painting with a pre-conceived notion of what she is going to do.
“I just make a mark, and then I make another mark that builds on it,” Spong said.
As she sits on brick steps in the sun one Friday afternoon, Spong turns her head of silvery gray hair to point to a brick and a few scattered leaves.
“See, I find that little arrangement beautiful,” Spong said, smiling. “I would paint that. I find an entire sunset overwhelming.”
Born in Nashville, Spong said she discovered her love of art when she took an art history course at Vanderbilt. Though an English major, she began cultivating her artistic interest by going on to take an art studio class, which she said she “really loved,” and made her realize she wanted to pursue art.
Spong married a Columbia native who also graduated from Vanderbilt, and so found herself in South Carolina's capital city in 1948. Between having her six children, Spong said she took courses at the Columbia Museum of Art, but it wasn’t until 1991 that Spong began painting full-time.
Spong is unassuming in her jeans and shows great pleasure in talking about her grandchildren. No one would guess the large number of awards she has received or shows in which her work has been featured.
According to a pamphlet made by Columbia gallery If ART owner Wim Roefs honoring Spong on her 80th brithday, Spong’s artwork has been featured in exhibitions hosted by the SC Artists and Columbia Artists’ Guild, as well as in the Columbia Museum of Art. She has had solo exhibits at the Beckman Art Gallery in Columbia, the Sumter Gallery of Art, as well as at the Sarratt Gallery at Vanderbilt University, among others. Spong’s work has also received several awards from the NBSC Annual Oil Painters Open Invitational Exhibition at the Sumter Gallery of Art.
According to Ashleigh Burke, assistant gallery director at If ART, Spong’s youthfulness is displayed by her commitment to paint every day and her “energy and love of life that is inspiring.”
“Like most artists, she has the inner need to paint and if she is unable to get into her studio for any stretch of time, she gets out of sorts,” Burke said.
“I think she is humble about her work and her success, which still seems to surprise her and which has given her a renewed confidence in her abilities as an artist,” Burke said.
Because of Spong’s success as an artist and reputation in the arts community, Burke said, Spong has “weathered the storm of the economic downturn fairly well.”
“Obviously she did not sell as much as before,” Burke said, “but she still sold a few paintings, which is more than could be said for most artists.”
“Artists struggle anyways.” Spong said. “Most have day jobs—day jobs or husbands.”
Still, USC art student Rachel Jackson said that she feels optimistic about the Columbia area’s future appreciation and support of local artists such as Spong. Jackson credits this support largely to the Columbia Museum of Art and professors in the Art Department at USC for “training and encouraging a new local scene of gifted artists.”
Jackson said that she believes Spong’s work will continue to succeed because of her ability to make her artwork relevant to a wide range of viewers.
“There appear to be symbols in her paintings, which are effective as they tend to have universal meanings.” Jackson said.
Spong has certainly proven she can stand the test of the economy, as well as time. Though 83 years old, she is young at heart in a way that people cannot help but notice
“I like painting because I’m never bored,” Spong said. “Frustrated, but never bored.” RCT