All of the women whose portraits hang on display in this gallery are individual in style and personality and at the snap of a finger I can recollect the nuances of those many distinct personas that I came to know from our brief creative encounters. Occasionally there are those whose auras brand themselves on my heart as a sweet and indelible imprint.

 

Laura possesses one such an aura.

 

I got to know a bit about Laura through another being of rare and substantial spirit, the ever-impressive Miss Sita Mae. They had been long-time budsters when they decided to start their own Yahoo club under the guise of bringing appreciators of art, photography and the abundant female figure together under one clubhouse roof. They called themselves the Divine Duo and together they coralled a large and impressive bunch of like-minded folks. Sita would speak to me in fond terms about Laura and showed me many pieces of her phenomenal art which made us both wish she lived a hop-skip from our doorsteps so we could all spend endless hours rappin' about art techniques, fetish photography, science fiction and great desserts. The more I learn about Laura--from Sita as well as from the awe-inspiring things Laura has made public-- the more gleeful I am to remember that such a person told me she has been a long-time admirer of my own work. Acclaim from ANY kindly soul is extremely gratifying, but respect from an artistic peer is just the cat's meow.

 

And I haven't even gotten to the part about how freakin' beautiful Laura is.

 

Anyway, this is the part of the Toil Girl write-up where I tell you a little something about who Laura is, where Laura is from, and how her portrait came to be. But after receiving the background info' I requested from her, I immediately decided it would be foolish for me to try and convey what a skilled scribed has already summed up so perfectly. So, in Laura's own words, here she is breakin' it all down for us--in chapters no less!

 

Part I: Background.

Hrm... background would take a few centuries to tell *wink* but I'll summarize. I grew up in the big, green mitten (Michigan) and relocated to the city of Sin (that's Las Vegas for all you squares.--L.T.) about seven years ago to marry the man of my dreams. I've got two sons, ages eighteen and eight and they never leave me with a dull
moment. ;)

I own my own small business selling vintage, sparkly stuff and I love every single minute of it!

Interests and skills, huh? *scratches head and ponders*

 

Well, rather than taking up a bazillion years with a narrative, I'll just list 'em. It will save typing time. Hehehe!

These are the things that I am passionate about: family, drawing, painting, photography, guitar, piano, percussion, singing, reading and writing poetry and prose, web publishing, calligraphy, make-up artistry,
jewelry making, cooking, leather crafting, rhinestones, 9-ball (billiards), ceramics, Detroit Red Wings hockey, history, and most recently, physical fitness.

 

Part II: My Portrait.

 

Well... my husband, Wayne, and one of my most bestestest of friends, Miss Sita Mae, decided to make my dream of becoming a "Toil Girl" a reality! Ever since seeing the ever so beautiful Sita immortalized by
(Les's) magical abilities, I've longed to be a Toil Girl. I had spoken with both of them in the past about my desire to be transformed into a sultry siren of a sultan mostly because it really does reflect how I feel in my unique, amazing, and fulfilling relationship with my man. ;) I have always had a fascination with the middle and far east for as long
as I can remember , so that probably played a wee role in my desire to be done up in that style.

 

That's the short list - I think I officially qualify as a maniac. LOL

 

I hope this helps... I know it's pretty dry but it is hard to write about, well... me. Hehehe!

 

Ya did well, kid. And something else the girl did well at is a little something called "I Am". It's an extremely powerful piece of writing about self-acceptance that has deservedly garnered her critical acclaim beyond the size-acceptance community. It was just recently that I discovered how incredibly influential this small work of words has become in cyberspace. You'd be doing yourself a disservice to not read "I Am" by Laura Judd.

 

While you're there, you might as well enjoy the rest of Laura's website. The only thing more gratifying than her now-famous poem is exploring her vast body of art, music, photography and writing.

 

Did I happen to mention Laura has a pair of eyes so stunning they could melt a freezer full of frozen Snickers?