Teacher: Laurel Ann Bigley Mathe
Laurel has been a designer and illustrator for 37 years since graduating from Chico State in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Design. It’s been almost 45 years if you count the work and illustration she’s done since Colfax High. She became determined to be a designer after talking to her high school guidance counselor in 1982. For example, as a teenager in 1983 she created an illustration for a local honey company, which to her surprise, is still used to this day. Having grown up in Colfax and the foothills, she has a deep love for its flora, fauna, canyons and rivers. She’s created pro-bono illustrations for PARC (Protect American River Canyons) for decades – supporting their mission to preserve our local and wild spaces. Her wildlife illustrations are currently featured on many Auburn Transit vehicles. She works in a variety of multidisciplinary arts, from printing on her 1914 letterpress to printmaking, drawing, painting, mixed media, stained glass, paper arts, fiber and textile arts, jewelry and more. As she heads towards retirement, she’s increasingly and avidly exploring new avenues of creativity – many involving natural materials and artistic anachronisms. She is the owner of Laurel & Lee Press and mysticdesign.net