Artist Spotlight: Laura and Label
Adison Walter is the artist behind Laura and Label, a custom art business that began on the pages of her childhood sketchbook, where she buried herself drawing abstract patterns and designs. She would grab any household item she could find to paint – shoes, perfume bottles, flowers, anything. But, what really catapulted her business to success was trading her sketchbook for a bottle of Champagne.
“When I first started, I was doing this for fun for friends here and there, I slowly started to get more and more people noticing my work, and now it is growing faster than I could’ve imagined,” Walter says, reminiscing about how her art went from barely earning anything monetarily, to becoming what could support her full time. Walter now travels across the United States for events and paints bottles for people she never thought would even know her name.
The detailed patterns and vibrant colors bring each bottle to life, turning a Champagne bottle into a rare piece of art that is kept and displayed as a way of always remembering a special occasion. Walter tailors every single design to each of her clients, incorporating aspects of their special day into each one.
On this bottle, Walter painted a picture of the client’s engagement.
Art came naturally for Walters. She has been painting for as long as she can remember on canvas, which led her into starting her own business, Art by Adison, to sell her work. However, it was while she was working for Classic Planning and Design painting signage and other small favors like cards and nametags for weddings where she got her life changing idea.
“Eventually, my old boss, Brandy, came to me and pitched the idea that I should start painting champagne bottles, because of course, what more perfect gift for an engagement, wedding, or really any event in general?”
The self-taught artist painted her first bottle for a styled shoot for the company. She soon decided she wanted to make a true business out of her art, changing the name from Art by Adison to something more fitting for her growing vision. By combining her first name Laura, with her own special form of art, Laura and Label was created.
“Labels can range anywhere from the classic Yellow Veuve label, to labels on envelopes and stationery,” Adison said, about giving the business a possibility to branch out into custom wedding stationery and invites, using her background in graphic design.
Walter describes herself as an extremely visual person. She finds most of her inspiration on Pinterest filling up boards with patterns that interest her, lifestyle and travel photos that inspire her through colors and aesthetics.
The Charleston native incorporates the city’s most famous landmarks on this bottle for a Charleston wedding, including Rainbow Row and the iconic Ravenel Bridge. For local clients, she sometimes includes the aspects of Charleston through colors and bright patterns.
Creating custom art is truly a passion for Walter. Custom art takes her longer – she normally paints 1-2 bottles in a day, depending on her additional workload – but she takes great joy in painting something so unique and special that can be kept forever.
One day she hopes to branch out from just painting the bottles into something that would be more of a full-time business. For now, she is enjoying all the opportunities this idea has given her as well as working toward making her vision of expanding to custom wedding stationery and invites a reality.
“I cannot wait to see this business continue to grow and what the future has in store for Laura & Label!” Walter exclaimed to me. And, we can’t either.
For more information or to make an inquiry for a custom bottle, visit https://lauraandlabel.squarespace.com/ or @Lauraandlabel on Instagram.
