Laurel began painting when she was fifteen, using oils on canvas. She found it an intriguing way to expess the world around her.

Laurel was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with British and Scandinavian heritage.

The love of art was inherited from her grandmother, Maj-Lis Klemming, who studied with George Swinton and enjoyed successful showings of her work. Klemming is recorded in the National Gallery of Canada.

Laurel has studied at the Winnipeg Art Gallery Studio, and with Milos Milidrag, of Arthur Street Studios, as well as the Forum Art Institute with teachers Brenna George, the late Tom Aldrich, and James Culleton.