Laura Wilder

"Birenberg House," a painting in gouache.“It is the sweet, simple things of life that are the real ones after all.”

Those words of wisdom came from a different Laura Wilder, a century ago. Maiden name: Ingalls.

Today, a Rochester, NY, relative of the beloved Little House on the Prairie author has built her art and her life around a similar affinity for the simple—as a block printer, painter and graphic designer.

“People always ask if I’m related to Laura Ingalls Wilder,” she says. “I actually am, but more importantly, I want to do with my art what she did with her books: convey her humble, simple, down-to-earth values.”

LauraLike her famous ancestor, Laura didn't find her artistic voice right out of the gate.

Laura painted and designed this poster for the 2008 Lilac Festival at Rochester's Highland Park.“I didn’t fit into the scary avant-garde fine art thing at college. And I didn’t fit into the cheesy, soul-sucking commercial art thing afterward,” she says. “Then I had a midlife crisis, and embraced the philosophy and styles of the Arts and Crafts Movement.”

It was then that Laura learned printmaking and became a Roycroft Renaissance artisan. And she was finally off and running with her own work—and her own business.

A mother of seven, Laura finds inspiration in nature, light, and artists from earlier periods. Her style often echoes the WPA era of poster illustration.

Her patrons come from all over the country. While her work appeals to a cross section of buyers, most are Arts and Crafts enthusiasts, she says. They're folks who love Mission Style homes, and they typically find her work through American Bungalow magazine, at arts shows, or online. Her art is also for sale at several retailers across the U.S.

When you look at Laura's portfolio, you'll see a mix of commissioned work—executed based on requests for specific subject matter—as well as pieces that come directly from her heart. She used to do more commissioned art, but now, she says, she prefers personal projects.

Laura donated this piece, featuring Seneca Park Zoo polar bears, to Rochester PBS affiliate WXXI this year to support their fund-raising auction.“I got really burned out doing all commissioned work and almost no personal,” she says. “So I've cut way back on commissions, and now do only personal projects, or projects that I’m excited about. So now it’s all personal.”