Laura McFaden

Laura McFaden
Senior Art Coach

Laura McFaden is a national award winning artist with over 30 years of professional experience in art instruction. She has taught hundreds of students both AP and IB art and in the process has worked with many to submit successful portfolios to the top art colleges in the country. She has also served as a Scholastic Art and Writing judge and has worked with her students to win Gold and Silver Key awards in many categories.

Laura loves coaching students to create strong art work for their portfolios to submit to highly selective colleges and helps many of our students develop their portfolios. She begins by providing thoughtful design challenges for students to complete in their Junior year (and before) so that they have a full body of portfolio-ready work for their college applications. This not only produces a cohesive and mature portfolio, it also greatly reduces the stress of preparing your portfolio and allows you to focus on the other important components of your applications.

Laura received her BA from Rollins Colleges and her MAT from RISD where she graduated first in her class. Follow her on Instagram (@art_with_mrs._mcfaden) where she posts both her work and her students’ work (with permission) to see her amazing talents and results.

Laura is a member of the RISD Alumni Association, Rollins Alumni Association, the National Art Education Association (NAEA), and the American Craft Council.

“Laura McFaden is simply THE BEST. Not only for her knowledge and expertise but how she motivated and brings out the best your kid can do. I call her our Art Angel.”

— Lisa, parent of a 12th grade student

“I said it once and I’ll say it again and again…. Laura  McFaden is a true life saver!!!”

— Pattie, parent of a 11th grade student

I have posted an improvement post in a while and thought I’d share today. Check out the huge growth by my 10th grade student Doruk from Turkey (yes I tutor all over the world). The after is the cowboy saloon illustration and before is the lemo
When imagination and observation meet is a fabulous piece! Loving this painting by 11th grade student Emma G @_emma_gelman_ 💕 Great use of rich textures and glowing light! . . . . #painting #paintings #paintingoftheday #paintingoncanvas #paintingof
Beautiful self portrait study by 11th grade student Olivia @peachiiih 💕 We’ve been working on how light impacts a form when you’re painting or drawing. Understanding light and it’s impact on objects is so key in developing dimensio
Stunning portrait by 10th grade student Arjun! This fabulous portrait is digital and he did not trace a photograph but rather digitally painted his interpretation of his friend. Wonderful glow to the light! I cannot stress enough the importance of li
Transfer Spotlight! Congratulations to Abby H @abby.haus on committing to transfer to @risdadmissions @risd2027 to further her studies in interior architectural design! Thrilled for Abby! Abby has impeccable style and has a passion for interior desig
I cannot stress it enough: draw, paint, create what you know and value. This gorgeous painting is by 11th grade student Skylar @skylarrapoportt . Skylar is an equestrian and an artist developing her portfolio for college. This beautiful acrylic paint
Designing characters is more than simply making a character. Characters have stories and live in environments. This fantastic digital illustration is by 11th grade student Sofie! She has so many fabulous characters and now we are placing them into il
This junior is on fire! Beautiful oil painting by 11th grade student Betty @betty_bui.reilly 💕 The variety of hues paired with the gorgeous glowing light make this painting so dynamic! Light is so key to developing an excellent painting. So impresse

See more student portfolio work on Laura’s Instagram.

“Laura McFaden is absolutely amazing! My daughter has grown so much since working with her. I always say it’s the best decision we ever made!”

—Lyndsay, parent of 9th grade student

We love the students we work with as they are dedicated to their creativity and always open my eyes to new ways of seeing and interpreting the world. We also appreciate the parents we collaborate with; even if they’re unsure how to support their child’s artistic journey, they recognize their student’s specialness and are committed to helping them thrive as they take the next step in their education.