A Crowler Art Q&A with Laura Marotta

By Dan Carlson

We’re simple people here at Redemption Rock. We see a blank space and think “somebody oughta draw something cool on that.”

We’re lucky that Worcester has no shortage of talented artists willing to draw on things. That’s how we’ve ended up with very cool things like our super-dope taproom mural and our Pow! Wow! Worcester! crowler labels.

Honestly, you can’t throw a rock in this city without hitting an amazing piece of art. It can be easy to take it all for granted - but so much of it is so much more than just something pretty to look at. There’s a lot of personal experiences, inspiration, hard work, and insight behind the city’s art. 

After rolling out five amazing crowler label designs from local artists, we want to take a moment to really appreciate the art that’s being shared on our cans - and the artists that create them. To start, we talked to our current label’s artist, Laura Marotta, about the piece she created for us.

[If you haven’t seen it yet, check out Laura’s crowler label here!]

Laura is a life-long artist and former public school art teacher, and is currently the executive director of the Creative Hub. Creative Hub Worcester is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide affordable and accessible opportunities in the Arts to our community with special attention to at-risk and underserved youth.

Read on to learn more about Laura’s journey as an artist, and her crowler can art:

Describe the crowler art - and the message behind it - for us.

It’s a portrait of three women - not specific individuals, but three women I think are representative of diversity and female empowerment. They’re embracing their identity and culture and they’re feeling empowered through that. 

Everyone should have the freedom to embrace their identity. That’s important to me, especially from a female and gender equality perspective. These are big issues right now, and I wanted to create something meaningful and relevant. 

Where did the inspiration for this artwork come from?

I actually thought at first that these labels might not have a deeper message - I’d just make them work as an aesthetic, seasonal, and colorful thing. But I’d been thinking about how art, in the historical sense, has been an agent for change by sending a message without having to use words. And I thought these labels could reach a different audience than a piece in an art gallery. 

And it’s an important message. There has been controversy about headscarves and immigration and policy and questions about religion and what it’s tied to. If these women were real individuals - and of course, they are, in our neighborhoods and our lives - then they should be able to embrace the outwardly representative parts of their identity without fear. 

How did you make the artwork, from a technical standpoint?

It’s a combination of pen and ink and watercolor.

I used a piece of watercolor paper the same size as the label, so that the end resolution would be the same. I started with the sketch of these three women that were in my head. I enjoy drawing portraits, and loved doing the headpieces and the headscarf - that was something a little different to take on. I then moved onto the shading, and used pen and ink for the eyes, lips, and other details. 

After the portraits, I took a separate piece of watercolor paper and started the background, using the negative space of the portraits as a sort of ghost. I did the portraits and watercolor as two separate pieces because I wanted to make sure the colors worked together - but I actually ended up really liking the way the colors came out the first time. I used a wet-on-wet watercolor technique, which creates a tie-dye effect as the colors bleed into each other.

Once the watercolor was done, I merged the two pieces together in photoshop. I left the portraits as black and white for two reasons: one, so the portraits would contrast against the background. And two, because I felt that if people had to use their imagination as to what other colors might be associated with these women and what they are wearing, it would help people relate to them.

What’s your background as an artist - and how did your personal experience play a role in this work?

Well, I do a lot of watercolor and pen and ink - those are my main mediums. I’m a painter by nature and I’m a color person. I tell people I can see, like, 18 shades of blue in the sky, and they’re like “what are you talking about?” Pen and ink has become a consistent medium for me. I enjoy how detailed I can get with micron pens. But I’ve only recently started to combine watercolor and pen and ink. I get nervous when I do that - that’s why I did it on two separate pieces for the crowler label.

I’m pretty often inspired by nature and people. Georgia O’Keefe inspired me when I was younger, especially from a nature perspective. From a modern standpoint, I really admire Amy Sherald, who I was able to meet last year. She painted the portrait of Michelle Obama - she’s very bold about the messages she sends through her art, especially about African-American culture, and it’s very inspiring. If you look at her work, specifically focusing on what the individuals wear, there are parallels between that and the can art.

How did this collaboration come about?

I was at the “Yass, Honey!” beer release, talking to Dani (Babineau, Redemption Rock CEO). She said she wanted to continue the crowler art program and asked if I knew anyone who could do it. I said I would do it - I don’t get to do art as much as I’d like to anymore, so this was a good reason to do something intentionally.

I also thought about how there’s a lot going on in the world right now, and how it’s important for artists to think about their voice as agents for social change and expressing messages through the opportunities they have. Visual expression can be incredibly powerful when times are challenging.