Ali Launer combines luxurious precious, semiprecious stones, handmade Bali Sterling silver and glass seed beads on the skulls of noble animals to create an impressive, signature style of art.
Few artists are creating anything remotely like Ms. Rouse Launer’s work, with its fabulous combination of beautiful patterns and extraordinary bold presence. The animal form, often with large, gorgeous horns, serves as the frame housing the intricate details of her designs. Each animal offers unique opportunities and possibilities, which Ms. Launer interprets as angular and symmetrical, or abstracted, simulating movement in the geometric composition.
Taking anywhere from 15 to 80 hours to create, Ms. Launer links the elements of nature and design to create elaborate designs. Most of the animals she represents are emblematic of the region, such as the bison, bull, and ram. She also uses rare African impala, oryx and kudu because of their distinct shape and beautiful elegance.
A skilled artisan, Ms. Launer has received major national coverage for her fashion and design work. Her jewelry has been featured by In Style and Vogue Magazines, as well as on The Early Show. The skulls are her most recent artistic venture, and have been exhibited throughout the Southwest, as well as in New York, Dallas, Orlando and Colorado.
Alison began working with beads at the age of twelve in her home state of New York. At seventeen, she relocated to Boston, MA, to attend Newbury College and study interior design. This training inspired passion for color and the use of texture in her beadwork. She has also lived on the Caribbean island Barbados and a brief stay in Virginia.
At twenty two, Ali headed west to Santa Fe, New Mexico. This is where she was inspired to begin beading skulls. She purchased her first skull at the Santa Fe flea market and began by trial and error. The first skull still hangs proudly in her home studio. She was recently the featured artist in Albuquerque, The Magazine, April, 2008 issue. Also in 2008, Ali had a showing at the Harwood Museum located in Taos, New Mexico through the National Museum for Women in the Arts and became a proud member of the Corrales Society of Artists.
In 2004, she got married and moved to Corrales, NM where she currently resides and continues to create new artistic and dramatic beaded skulls. In 2006, Ali had an adorable son, and in 2009 she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Both children play and occasionally fight along side of her in the studio.
Website
http://alilauner.com
