Introducing : Lauren Carr
Lauren is a freelance illustrator, living and creating in Vancouver B.C.
Inspired from sensitive personal experiences, her style is mingled with imaginative elements, creating a strange & surreal imagery.
Lauren currently has 9 original paintings on display, and for sale, at Liquid Amber Tattoo until April 30, 2016.
LAT Spotlight Artist Interview : Lauren Carr
What are you most inspired by?
"I hope I can choose a few different answers here as I could never pick just a single definitive thing or person, my brief list would consist of … Music from The Shins , The artworks of Victo Ngai, James Jean, Amber Albrecht, and Yuko Shimizu , West Coast sea life & Nick Russell, my partner and musician."
Do you remember the first time you started creating art?
"I have been drawing since I was very young, possibly months old, so it would be impossible to recall my first moment of creation. However, one art piece that comes to mind was a school project I created in grade 4, it was called “The Adventures in Not Smoking” which was a short book featuring my illustrations alongside anti-smoking facts."
What got you inspired to do art as a living?
"I don’t think anything ever pushed me in this direction, I just can’t imagine doing anything else."
What were some challenges going to art school?
"The commute, hands down. I attended Emily Carr University here in Vancouver BC, I couldn’t afford to live in the city while I was going to school so I lived with my parents, rent free in Abbotsford BC. I took the West Coast Express from Abbotsford to Vancouver and back again 4-5 days a week, it was about 2.5 hours each way factoring in additional busses and the drive from Abby to Mission. I hated that commute."
When you sit down to create, what do you surround yourself with?
"If I’m painting or doing any “serious” art I work at a huge desk in my home studio with green tea on hand, and some tunes spinning. All sketching is done in assorted coffee shops."
What’s on the horizons for you?
"I would love to get my hands on a tattoo apprenticeship, you just need to keep making art, and ultimately bugging people, to get yourself in I think, so I’m working on that. I am also currently developing a storyboard portfolio for film/animation that I hope to distribute to a few studios in the next 3 months."
Thoughts on where painting is going as the art continues to become more digitized?
"I used to have that digital phobia as many traditional artist do, but that’s slowly starting to fade as I realize the benefits of digital media. That being said, I don’t think traditional painting will become obsolete, just as I think books will continue to be printed and read, people like the physicality of these things, and I don’t think they can be replaced."
Thanks for your time with us Lauren. Is there anything else you would like to add to our readers?
"I guess the last thing I would like to add, is that, I think some people need to make art because it's the only thing that keeps them happy, this is certainly true in my case. I'm not happy unless I feel like I'm being creative and growing in my practice. Finding your path is perhaps the most difficult thing about creating, I have really just begun to scratch the surface in realizing my final goals.
For all the kids, best advice is draw every single day, illustrate your dreams, sketch from life, invent, if art is your passion then live it each day."