Passions stick with us throughout our lives, whether as small hobbies or the careers we explore every day . Laura Vicente is a creative and an educator who has blended all her passions together throughout her life to always be doing something she loves.

Laura is a Portuguese artist who has found art and continued to develop her craft throughout life. She began in school, drawing the faces of her teachers and colleagues; her love for portraiture led to the creation of her first clay bust at the age of 12.

“For many years, I did art as a hobby very intensely,” Laura took art courses on the evening, weekends and holidays ranging from drawing and painting to stone and wood sculpture, even courses in knitting and ceramics.

Even with her love for the arts Laura attended school for chemical engineering. While studying to earn her PhD in chemistry she traveled all over for conferences, including Switzerland, Scotland and other locations throughout Europe and the United States. Laura then worked as an engineer in a paint manufacturing company until moving with her husband to London in 2005 due to his job. Still working as an engineer part-time, Laura continued taking art courses while in London.

In London she earned her sculpture diploma while studying watercolor and oil painting. During her sculpture course in London Vicente began to use aluminum wire for the sculptures to give the impression of moving and dancing figures. The idea of using tights came to mind when wanting to give them “skin,” which is how Laura ran across We Love Colors when she decided she wanted to work with more than just black and skin-tone tights.

“I tried to paint the tights with acrylic paint but it didn’t work well. So I started searching online where could I get colourful tights,” she said. “And there I found We Love Colors!”

With so many colors at her disposal, Laura continued to create and now had any color she wanted to express herself. One sculpture uses tights with different blue tones and give off a sense of underwater dancing. Her sculptures are also hung to capture the weightlessness of the tights and dance itself.

“I don’t know why I like the colorful and light dancing figures so much. But I know it is through them that I can best express my emotions,” said Laura.

Laura moved back to Portugal in 2012 wanting another job; artistry didn’t bring in as much money and Laura is not fond of selling her sculptures. Wanting to enjoy her time outside of the house and with other people she started an after-school program at her children’s school where she went on to become a substitute teacher and ultimately a permanent art teacher.

“I never thought I could have the patience to teach young children,” she said. “I love everything about being an art teacher. I love searching for very nice art projects online, sometimes mixing ideas or my own ideas.”

She is often surprised by the pieces her students create that are often as “good as Picasso, Chagall and other famous artists.” Laura believes all children are naturally talented when it comes to art. She likes to see her class full of enthusiasm, trying their best and ultimately proud of the work they accomplish at the end.

Laura has also started an art club for adults out of her own home, which she also finds fun and rewarding.

Now dividing her time between teaching and sculpting, Laura is preparing two small exhibitions in two hotels in Lisbon. One of the exhibits opens this month and will house her busts while the other is set for early next year and will house her new dancing pieces.

Laura Vicente continues to touch lives in different ways, whether it be through her teaching or simply creating a piece decorated with tights of every color.