Christian Drury, a former design director for the Los Angeles Times (who was caught up in the company’s massive rounds of lay-offs last year), has moved on to greener pastures: designing and creating hand-painted leather handbags for her new namesake accessories collection.

The classically trained artist — who studied painting, printmaking and design while growing up in London at Sir John Cass School of Art — found herself experimenting with printing and painting on a piece of ivory kid leather, “and it felt so good,” she said. Drury showed her handiwork to Kaye Spilker, curator at LACMA’s Costume & Textiles Department, and “she was wonderful and encouraged me to follow what I had been working on in leather.”

Her inspirations for the organic-feeling designs are varied — and based on what Drury herself likes to tote around. “I designed one bag based on a fly fishing case I have used for a purse for years [and] another based on my school satchel that everyone had at school in London.”

The limited-edition bags, which are manufactured (and hand-painted by Christian) in L.A.., retail from $295 to $1350 and are available on the company’s site. Up next for the designer? “I have been playing around designing some outerwear using leathers and canvas and silk. Also a White Shirt series…but that all comes next.”

Photo: “Castine” clutch with hand-chain by Christian Drury, $495. Courtesy of Christian Drury.