New Paintings

I finished these last week. Well, they both need a little more work, but I couldn't wait any longer to get them on my blog.

"Let's Get It"

"Climbing"

Spray Paint Stock Pile

This post is long overdue. I've been going to town with the whole spray paint schtick for a while now. I jumped on the Vinyl Killers bandwagon and began covering old LPs with spray painted stencils, a craft that's been around for a while. In fact I've heard there are whole conventions for Vinyl Killer artwork. Each of my stencils are made from my own original designs, which makes it feel more authentic though. It sure is fun! And fast! Found some old records in a dumpster, so it's cheap, too. Here are some of them:














And here is a much larger one that I did back in the beginning of my explorations to experiment with technique. Kinda loud, but spray paint colors tend to be pretty intense. Still getting used to that.

Onward and Forward

Here's a photo of the beginning stages of my next sprayed painting. I'm building background layers here. Got some new cans of paint in awesome colors today. Went slice-silly with some new original stencils, too. I'm having a ball! I think I'll be able to whip out some snazzy pictures in less than half the time it usually takes me to finish a painting. Woohoo!

The spray paint bug bit me!

Thanks to the influence of stencil artist Aaron Brick, I recently purchased a few cans of Montana spray paint (the artist-grade brand that you can't find in hardware stores). I have cut a couple smaller stencils and played around with those with somewhat disappointing results, but the other night I decided to tackle a larger piece (see image below) and use only a large abstract, blob-shaped stencil with which to make rounded shapes.

With no certain subject in mind, I began by simply laying down a signature of my first name (I guess it's called a "tag" though I would never think of creating graffiti on public facade) in the center with the intention of embellishing around the perimeter. A little hesitant at first, I soon was off and running, switching cans on the fly and using them as though they were paints on my palette. How fun!

I went back to the art store again today to procure more colors, and now I plan to experiment with laying down a background with spray paint that I can perhaps paint on top of with a brush with either acrylic or oil paint. I think a marriage of the two mediums could lead to very exciting results!

Perhaps I'm straying from my preferred and most comfortable medium here and becoming a bit distracted, but it sure is fun to discover new mediums, and as I always say, there's no harm in having more tricks up your sleeve as an artist!

(click the image to zoom in)

There it is! My very first attempt at creating art with spray paint. It's a bit cluttered and messy and clearly lacks a vision, but I think it's not too shabby for my first try. There is definitely lots of room for improvement. What do you think?

How to find pictures of my newest paintings

Hello! If this is your first time visiting my blog, I'd like to help you find the photos that I most likely sent you here to see, which haven't made it to my website yet. Here is a link to the portion of my blog where you can see my most recent artwork. And also here.

Due to life's uncertainties and obligations, I have had to take a hiatus from creating new work, but more is on the way, so please check back in a month or so.

If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it, so please leave me a comment! Thanks for visiting my site.

Quadtych Collaboration

Last weekend I was paid a visit by Aaron Brick, my artist friend from Bellingham, Washington. We have collaborated in the past, and now we have created a new piece. Well, 4 pieces that will hang together as a "quadtych." Aaron contributed his amazingly detailed spray-painted stencils of the women's faces, and I produced the collaged paper and star stencils. When hung together, the piece is roughly 22" wide and 26" high. Click the image below to zoom in to better see the details.

My painting finds a beautiful home

I recently found a delightful surprise in my email inbox: a photo of the final resting place of one of my paintings purchased in December, sent to me by it's new owner Kathleen Dong. I am utterly stunned by this photo! The color of the water as I painted it matches so wonderfully with the color of the water outside the window and the tiles around the fireplace! I just had to share it with you all!

Commissioned Star Wars painting Phase 1

A nice woman has asked me to paint a Star Wars-based painting for her eleven year old son, and though it's not a theme I would have come to on my own, I am excited to have a new challenge. Here's a photo of my first "phase." I've got Luke and Darth and the Death Star in there. Soon to come: brighter lighters, more detail in the figures, 3CPO and R2D2 off to the left in the desert, Ewoks off the right with maybe some forest-y stuff, and an X-Wing battling some Tie fights with lasers and maybe some explosions in the dark outer space above. Yeah, I'm geeking out over here. Thank you James and Brian for helping me work out the details and composition. Prior to their advice I didn't realize that Darth Vader's light saber was one specific color, and Skywalkers another. VERY IMPORTANT STUFF. I hope this boy is totally stoked when I'm finished!

New Art Show! Trabant Coffee in Pioneer Square

Exciting news! An artist friend of mine (Dear Earthling aka Jeremiah Hammer) just helped me set up a show in a coffee shop that was caught with bare walls and no artist available to show. Pretty sweet deal for me! I hung eleven paintings there this afternoon (thank you Clovis de Milo for your help! I could NOT have done it without you!). The show will last for almost two months, ending on April 1st. Many of my newer paintings were sold during my last show, but I dug deep into my reserves and pulled out some great stuff that hasn't seen the light of day beyond my living room or closet for a long time, plus my newest piece is on display for the first time. I sure hope you can all check it out! Trabant has AMPLE wall space (I had to make another trip back home to pick up more artwork!), all painted white, with very high ceilings and great lighting. With it's simple, austere decor, this coffee shop seems very gallery-esque, and I think my work looks pretty darn good in it. Lauren is a happy girl today!

Trabant Coffee & Chai is located at 602 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA, where 2nd Ave meets James Street. Show ends April 1, 2011.

Artist Statement Reprise

During my last show at the restaurant, many patrons asked me to explain my paintings while I was on the job. As a visual artist, it is always hard to come up with words to go along with the visual element, and even more difficult when you're on the spot and table 9 wants to order and I have six cocktails to make.... When I have my wits about me and I can channel all that they taught us in art school, I usually say something along these lines:

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Artists Statement

by Lauren Aldrich

As humans, our eyes and minds are open wide, intricately wired to pick up and assimilate all that we see. We subconsciously collect and combine images in our memory banks, and each combination is accompanied by other points of reference. These reference points boil down to emotions and memories born from our personal trajectory through life, manifested in the form of color and shape.

The concept of anthropomorphism pervades my work. I find it fascinating that as humans, we perceive our ability to reason and feel as being so pervasive and omnipotent that we impose it on any other object or living thing we encounter, almost automatically. Put a couple eyes on just about anything, and suddenly we will interpret the object as having feelings and intentions.

As an artist, I get to play around with all of the infinite visual elements that surround us and juxtapose them against each other. This gives the viewer (and myself) particular reference points which trigger something deep in our visual memory banks and bring forth particular groups of emotions.

Most commonly I use a sort of formula including a small character with eyes depicted in a dreamlike scenario made up of a landscape, trees, pathways, a wild sky, clouds, stars, sun, etc. all painted in improbable, striking color schemes.

As you view the various scenes that I have created, let the images inspire a personal significance and storyline. Many stem from my own life experiences or emotions, but there is a unique meaning to be attained by each individual.

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So there it is! It's been a long time since I posted this, so I thought a little reminder would be helpful. Please share with me what you think of my statement. I'm curious if it makes sense to anyone else, or if it seems like it fits my work. Thank you!

First Painting of 2011 is Finished!

There simply aren't words for how much fun I had making this piece. Super happy fun time! I know now more than ever that I have a purpose: to make surreal scenes with vivid colors, landscapes, trees, crazy skies and, of course, little dudes. Seems so cut and dried when I type it out like that, almost juvenile, but it is easy for me to forget such a thing as what exactly it is that I like to do with my time and life. Anyway, I feel like I've come home. Better just show the painting now...

(click to enlarge)

"Astral Aspiration"

oil paint on canvas

2.5' x 3'

This may be a common phenomenon for artists of all kinds, but having just created this painting, I feel that it is my favorite piece EVER! Anyone else notice that? Just means I'm even more excited to make a newER one!

Loose ends and new beginnings

The year is off to a great start in my studio! I haven't felt this fired up about making art in many years, truly. It's exhilarating! Having completed one large painting depicting a surreal scene (see previous post), I am chomping at the bit to begin the next one, but first I am going to finish up a few smaller paintings that have been laying around for a while. Here are the two I finished up today:

"Sweet Snarl"

oil paint on canvas

20" x 20"

$75

"Trunk Terrain"

17" x 20"

oil paint on wood panel

$75

It's time to stretch a new large canvas now, but in the meantime I purchased some cheap, small canvases on sale at the art store, on which I plan to explore ideas of color, pattern and of course, little dudes. It will be fun to make mini-paintings that I can create quickly, and to have artwork for sale to fit a mini-budget. Here are a few I prepped yesterday:

All ready to go!

Progress: The first painting of the year

In addition to building the frame for a new piece this weekend, I set boldly forth and dove head first into a brand new painting over a canvas I had stretched previously. Here are some photos of Phase One:

Photo taken by Paul Carlson during a visit to my studio. It's a fresh canvas and a clean new palette. Exciting!

This photo isn't all that great because I took it with my cell phone's camera, but you get the idea: sky, clouds, more sky, hills and a path. Soon to come: trees, ladders, a little dude, a shooting star, and more details and texture and layers.

I'll post some pics of Phase Two next week, LIVE from Lauren's studio!

( photo by Paul Carlson)

'Tis the season for celebration!

The last day of 2010 was also the last day of my art show at Chiso, and what a day it was! One more painting was purchased, bringing my sales to a total of 7 paintings during this show alone! I kind of can't believe it; it's a pretty special feeling to have had so many people like me work enough to pay me for it and hang it in their homes. Thank you to all who purchased and to all who showed appreciation and support. I feel absolutely rejuvenated and ready to pump out new work in this new year. I am overflowing with inspiration, and I already have a new canvas primed and ready to go, so definitely stay tuned. I will try to be better about posting pics of new work on a more regular basis. No future shows lined up at the moment, but then again I don't have a lot of work left to show! Time to get to work.... Happy New Year to all! Thanks again!