We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lauren Wholey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lauren below.
Lauren , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
My optimism stems from my love of creating. My whole life there has always been a craft to finish or a painting to start. The process of making anything gives a fulfillment that is hard to beat, opening your eyes to endless possibilities of what could be. You could make a sweater to warm a loved one or make a print to brighten a room. This attitude about creation is almost the definition of optimism: “Hopefulness or confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something”.
However, it’s easy to be optimistic when everything is going well. The amazing thing about creating is it doesn’t have to be positive. Art is a wonderful way to express negative feelings, and can be a way of contextualizing, processing, and even personifying sadness, anxiety, or grief. Creation is a way to get feelings, ideas, and memories out of your head whether they be good or bad. Once again opening the door for endless possibilities.
Additionally, creating is ultimately a reflection of hard work and dedication. As an oil painter, fiber artist, and software engineer, creating gives me confidence and pride in myself and my abilities, giving me the grace to be confident in the world around me. Confident that the world will be a better place with one more well crafted scarf or one more emotive painting.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Through oil painting and drawing, I preserve memories. I aim to provide a complete sensory experience through something the viewer can only look at. I paint quickly to produce a fluidity that captures movement and the interactions of subjects. My paintings often present a realistic face, but when given a second look that are odd and dreamlike. I want to push the viewer to a feeling of subtle recognition, something like dejavú. Something they might remember from a dream. Using figures in my paintings allows me to push my work to represent the energy between people. I want to emulate how a person makes you feel when they walk in the room or how it makes you feel to be alone without them.
However my art is not confined to a canvas. In recent months I have been exploring textile works like knitting, crocheting, and felting. One of my favorite fiber pieces I’ve done recently is my aspen crocheted wall hanging. This piece allowed me to draw as I crocheted, designing freehand as I went. One special thing about my work is the variety. I keep my creativity fresh by exploring any medium or method I can get my hands on – painting, printing, knitting, felting, writing… the possibilities are endless!
Additionally, a big goal of mine is to share my art with as many people as possible. All of my pieces can be seen on my instagram and are all for sale unless specified otherwise. But besides showing pieces for sale, I post new creations regularly that are just waiting to be enjoyed!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The thing that has always kept me going on my creative journey is my love for the craft. My first love is painting. It’s the medium I can always return to as the simplest way to express my ideas. Having an accessible way to express myself has allowed me to continue creating day after day. So my advice to any readers wanting to get into art is find something enjoyable that you can feasibly do every week and do it! Whether that be drawing or crocheting, get into it consistently.
With that being said – experiment! Once you have your routine down explore every opportunity you get. Take a ceramics class or watch a video on knitting. Learning new things will keep your creativity alive and fresh. Mastering one thing is a great way to create lovely art, but exploring different methods will bring you new ideas and challenges.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to share your art. Growing up I was terrified to share my work, terrified of the judgement that might bring. This created a kind of shame around my drawing practice when in reality it should have been celebrated. So I took the leap and posted a drawing a day on instagram. Showing my art to my ten followers gave me the courage to create more consistently and gave me confidence in my craft. Now I don’t think twice about sharing my silliest or worst paintings, because all expression has value despite its perceived quality. Sharing your art with the world is one of the most valuable parts of being an artist, so don’t be afraid to share your wonderful creations with those around you.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Seeing art in person is invaluable. Viewing a 4 foot by 4 foot painting through your tiny iPhone screen pales in comparison to experiencing that work in person. It has always been a dream of mine to work with a gallery to put on a show. Specifically, I would love a space to explore installation ideas with my fiber art. I would love to combine my paintings and crochet creations to create a new environment for people to explore. My dream is to create tens of aspen wall hangings and suspend them from the ceiling, creating a crochet forest.
It would be amazing to collaborate with a gallery or artists with experience in installation art to bring my dreams to life. I am looking for people who share my interest in experimenting and exploring new mediums and ideas. I know there are endless possibilities for shows you can design, and I want pursue one beyond the traditional approach of paintings on white walls.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/painted.ladie/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-wholey-a87555193/
Image Credits
all taken by me
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
