Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Petka.
Hi Laura, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been a painter and an artist for as long as I can remember—since childhood! I had a “career” as an Art Gallery Director in the design district for six years, which gave me a wealth of knowledge in the art and design field. In 2016 I gave birth to our second baby, Willa, and decided it was time to stay home with her and older brother Merritt. Through my gallery experience, I saw a void in the market for buyers like my husband and I, who weren’t ready to spend $10,000+ on original art—but wanted pieces we connect with. I started painting and selling pieces, then had a surprise 3rd pregnancy and found out we would have identical twins. Within weeks we discovered the twins would have many hardships ahead so I took a necessary break from painting as we lived our new normal in the NICU for months on end. Through multiple surgeries in Dallas and Cincinnati—and living in hospitals for a year, Hayes was ultimately healed through his surgeon in Cincinnati. It was years before I went back to painting, as it took time to process the trauma we lived through and my focus had to be on getting our family mentally and healthy again. This experience was a turning point for me in many ways—including my art—and the Lord’s provision on me during this time gave me a whole new clarity on life.
In the fall of 2024, all 4 of our kids were at Hyer Elementary together and I yearned to turn my focus back to painting. My inspiration flowed from our experience—creating the “Connecting Points” series and I began making new partnerships to carry my work outside of Dallas. Being picked up at Blue Hills Barn with Maison Miral in Round Top has been incredibly exciting and now I have partnerships in Austin and San Antonio as well.
I have a vision for where I want this to go and am eagerly working towards it. After many years in the Art Gallery business, I’ve been happy to have an open mind and grateful heart to any kind of partnership that’s come my way!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
If it weren’t for the experience our family went through with our son Hayes’ illness, my work wouldn’t be what it is today. Those valleys we endured shaped not only the person I am today, but the work I create. Sometimes it’s through great adversity that we uncover the strongest, most authentic version of ourselves, and I truly believe that was God’s plan for me all along. These clusters carry that story.
One of the most meaningful parts of being an artist is the conversations I get to have with my collectors. Being open about our hardships creates space for honest dialogue about how life isn’t perfect. And those are the conversations that stay with me—when a collector sees their own story reflected in my work. Their highs and lows. Their resilience. That’s what makes it more than art—it becomes a shared experience
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work is marked by clusters of bold, tactile texture—raw yet intentional. These layered forms have become a signature in my paintings, echoing the emotional terrain of life’s most defining moments. My “Connecting Points” series is rooted in the belief that the moments in our lives—both joyful and painful—aren’t isolated. They shape us, intersect, and ultimately connect to form something greater. The bold, textured clusters on my canvas reflect this truth. They symbolize the way life’s defining experiences—grief, healing, faith, motherhood—run together and collide, creating unexpected beauty.
Texture, inspiration from life’s highs and lows, and the representation of life are common and continual themes found in each collection and piece of my art. All of my work invites introspection by evoking emotion around life’s relationships and events—as well as the many ways they connect, contrast, and evolve over time.
I aspire to offer my clients more than a piece of art—I want to offer connection, depth, and meaning. Each painting is created with intention, layered with personal story and emotional honesty. I hope my work invites them to reflect on their own journey—the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Whether they see beauty in the bold textures or resonance in the quiet spaces, I want them to feel something lasting. My goal is for every collector to walk away with more than a painting—they’re taking home a piece of their own story, seen through the lens of mine
My work isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about lived experience. Every painting I make is rooted in the real, raw moments of life. My signature textured clusters and layered forms were born from a season of deep emotional upheaval—after walking through the trauma of one of our twins being born with a critical illness. It was in those fragile moments that I began to see life differently, and that clarity now inspires every brushstroke. My paintings reflect the peaks and valleys we lived through and open conversation about life’s vulnerabilities. They’re not polished reflections of perfection, but honest representations of what it means to endure, to hope, and to heal. The texture is there to be experienced—each ridge and groove capturing the emotional weight of a moment. It’s not just visual impact; it’s a physical presence in the room.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I remember winning an art contest in elementary school and my drawing getting put onto the school shirt for the year. I knew art was a passion then.
Pricing:
- $4000-10,000+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://LauraPetkaArt.com
- Instagram: @laurapetkaart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17myQhLH6p/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
@harwood_photography
@gracehodophoto
