Montezuma artist sharing her love of painting with others

​       Montezuma artist Laura Ostrem is shown with her pastel artwork at the 2025 Iowa Pastel Society’s membership show reception in Fairfield on Sept. 5. The three paintings at the left are by Ostrem and will be on display through Oct. 21 at the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center in Fairfield.

By J.O. Parker
 
         Montezuma’s Laura Ostrem remembers as a child growing up in Jackson, Miss., and watching her mother draw and paint. That is where she first honed her love and skills with a paintbrush.
           “My mother, Carroll W. Karlak, was a watercolor artist and encouraged my artistic efforts,” she said.
     As Ostrem grew older, she pursued other interests outside of art, including practicing law and homeschooling her three children (two boys and one daughter) in California, Oklahoma and Iowa.
           Now retired from active law practice, Ostrem has returned to her childhood love of painting.
          Ostrem said it was during Covid that she started painting again, the first time since she was a child.
          At the time, she was working remotely with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and had more time on her hands.
         She is mostly self-taught using on-line videos and courses. Her favorite painting mediums are watercolor and soft pastels.
       Her favorite subjects to paint are animals, people and families, which she said is the most challenging, landscapes, flowers, cityscape scenes and ocean scenes.
         “I like to paint subjects that have a positive vibe,” she said.
     She has taken workshops under the direction of Sterling Edwards, Lewisville, N.C.; David R. Becker, Chicago; and David Smith, a watercolor artist from Woodbury, Minn. 
       Ostrem is currently a member at large on the board of the Iowa Pastel Society (IPS), a position she will hold through 2027. And she currently serves as the secretary on the board of the Iowa Watercolor Society (IWS), a position she will hold through 2027.
     Ostrem has been attending annual IWS workshops in Perry for a couple years and recently had her watercolor painting “What’s the Angle?” selected for inclusion in the IWS’s 48th Annual Exhibition and 2025 – 26 traveling show. The painting was also selected for an Honorable Mention award and was recently reviewed by juror and judge Andy Evansen, who recently gave a demonstration at the IWS annual meeting and awards event in Perry.
     She currently has pastel paintings on display at the IPS Membership Show at the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center in Fairfield. The show opened on Sept. 5 and will run through Oct. 21, 2025.
      Much of her artwork is made using her own photos and available reference photos for artists on topics she finds interesting.
       Ostrem has developed a website, lauraostrem.com, where she showcases her artwork.
     Her artwork is divided into categories such as abstract art, creative/expressionist, seashore, nature, people and portraits. Her paintings range in price from $100 - $350.
      She also offers mounted and framed paintings available under $100.
      Ostrem said painting is a creative activity and she enjoys listening to music while painting.
     When not painting, Ostrem enjoys live music, especially traditional jazz; traveling and reading. She is also the proud owner of a large Newfoundland dog and several cats, which she loves and treats like family.
      Ostrem can be contacted through her website, lauraostrem.com.