Laird was perhaps the most talented and adventurous artist of our class.  He seemed to be much less influenced by current trends in the art world than some of us.  Laird's willingness to blend art history with personal dialog, his use of traditional forms, methods, and materials was a powerful reminder to us in the senior studio to keep exploring and pushing beyond preconceived ideas of imagery, style, and content.  His altar piece triptych, with hinged side panels, was surely one of the most advanced pieces to come out of that studio.

He experimented with silverpoint drawing on prepared paper (a Renaissance technique) among other media. The numerous self portraits executed in print, paint and drawing were an homage to that time-honored and introspective artists' subject.