Mother-of-two Laura Lehman-Kochan is getting back to her first love creating charcoal and pastel artwork to go on public show now her two children are growing up.

%image(14920004, type="article-full", alt="Laura... "A fluent mark when you quickly draw something should not be laboured." Picture: Picture: Laura Lehman-Kochan")

Drawing is her first love, she admits—apart from raising her family.

American-born Laura has an exhibition opening at Bethnal Green's Espacio Gallery next week.

"Being a mother inevitably distracts you from your artwork," Laura reveals.

%image(14920005, type="article-full", alt="No tunnel vision for artist Laura who says you "need to know when to stop and not overdo things." Picture: Laura Lehman-Kochan")

"It takes up your concentration and is hard giving everything to your work when you have the demands of a family.

"But now the children are growing up, I can give more to my work."

She does regular life drawing in her family's sitting room and also teaches drawing to art students.

"I love a fluent mark when you draw something quickly," she tells you. "It generally doesn't come to anything if you think too much. You need to know when to stop and not overdo things."

Laura's show at the Espacio Gallery at 159 Bethnal Green Road opens on November 19 and runs till November 24, Tuesday to Saturday 1-7pm, Sunday 1-5pm.