SB_issue54_digital

the motion of surfing
art inspired by the sea
always on the move…
. . . is a haiku written by artist,
surfer and traveller Laura Feller
as a mantra for both her life and
work.
As an inspired artist and illustrator born in Austria,
Laura simply cannot help but have the travel bug.
Always going where her heart takes her, she has
journeyed from the lush wonders of New Zealand to
the pristine beaches of Australia to the tropical surfing
paradise of Bali.
Travelling inspires and drives everything Laura does,
which is why wherever she goes, her sketchbook
follows. Filled with wonderful watercolour illustrations,
her art perfectly depicts the small intricacies and
feelings of surfing and the picturesque places she visits
around the world.
In addition to her sketches of surfers carving up
watercolour waves, her art is also littered with skilfully
drawn architectural wonders inspired by her travels.
Laura said she attended art school and studied
architecture in the trendy and cultural city of Graz,
which is a place she calls home whenever she goes
back to Austria.
“I took my time and travelled a lot during my studies.
The further away and the more exotic the culture the
better. Different architecture, food, plants, animals,
languages and people are super interesting to me.
“It really makes you see our planet with open eyes
and teaches you to have awe in life. Looking back,
that’s why I changed my path from wanting to become
an architect to an artist. Well, of course surfing was
involved too,” she said.
Laura grew up on a small farm in the land-locked
country of Austria. Her summer holidays were by the
Mediterranean Sea, but while it was beautiful there,
the expanse of water is almost completely enclosed
by land and waveless. While she was very connected
to nature her whole life, Laura said she didn’t discover
surfing until she was 23.
“Getting into surfing was pure luck I would say. Back in
2016, I wanted to go on an exchange to Australia, but
the program didn’t work out, so I signed up for study in
Bali very last minute and not knowing too much about
it at all.
“A few months later I had my very first surf lesson
through uni on Kuta Beach. Then I found a few friends
who surfed, and I was hooked! I remember we often
surfed before and after uni, and I just couldn’t get
enough.
“The seven months there passed way too quickly, and
after one month of traveling in Australia afterwards I
was back home in Austria. It was early March and still
cold and all I could think about was ways to get back
into Bali and surf. As stubborn as I am, I made it work
somehow, and spent every study break in Indonesia
and also later in New Zealand,” she said.
For someone who grew up in a land-locked country,
it’s a miracle and a wonder that Laura has become so
passionate with surfing. Laura said she loves riding
the waves, not just because she likes being outside
and having fun with friends, but because it teaches her
patience and it’s not like any other sport she has tried.
“Surfing challenges you in so many ways physically
and mentally. So many factors have to play out in
order to catch a good wave. Pushing through those
frustrating moments helped me a lot to tackle other
hurdles in life, both privately and with work.
“The ocean calms you and challenges you at the same
time and is something that I find very freeing. What’s
cool is that you’ll never be the boss, and the ocean will
show you that from time to time. Eventually, you can
learn to have a good relationship with it, and you will
be rewarded.
“There’s nothing like coming off a wave that felt good,
you just can’t hide your smile afterwards and it will
make you paddle back out no matter how tired your
arms are already. It’s addictive, but in a good way,”
she said.
63 / #54 / SB