Hello, I'm Laurie Mika.

Thanks for being here! For nearly thirty years, I have explored the creative possibilities of polymer clay, transforming an unconventional medium into a distinctive language of mixed media mosaics, assemblage, and collage that is both distinctive and original. As an artist and the author of Mixed Media Mosaics (2007), I have continually pushed the boundaries of the material, combining my love of painting with handmade polymer clay, beads, vintage jewelry, glass, resin, collage, and found objects to create richly layered works I think of as narrative fragments—stories woven from history, memory, and imagination. Inspired by extensive travels, I draw from the disparate influences of the gilded devotional panels of Medieval Europe, the folk art traditions of Colonial Latin America and Mexico, and Renaissance painting. While rooted in history, my work is contemporary in both theme and materials, bridging ancient artistic traditions with modern storytelling. My recent work has expanded into larger figurative forms that combine polymer clay, painting, collage, and digital AI-assisted imagery exploring memory, aging, dreams, identity, and the female experience. Continual experimentation remains at the heart of my practice. I am represented by Pop Gallery in Denver, CO. I have been included in numerous group shows in Southern California including at La Luz de Jesus and the Hive Gallery in LA and many galleries in the San Diego area and the Oceanside Museum of Art. My work has appeared in numerous books and magazines, including 400 Polymer Clay Designs, Beyond Paper Dolls, Taking Flight, Mosaic Art and Style, and Polymer Clay Color Inspirations. In television, I have been featured on HGTV's That's Clever, DIY Network's Craft Lab, and PBS's Make It Artsy.