Meet Lauren Younge: Mixed Media Artist and Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Younge and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“I’m walking in my purpose and trusting my process” – my daily affirmation. This statement is comforting to say and write because it helps me remain focused on what I’m currently doing in life and where I’d like to be. I can use this statement in all aspects of my life. But I use it most in terms of my art career. I am a mixed media artist and painter located in St. Louis, Missouri. This season of COVID-19 has allowed me to see areas in my life that I’d like to change. I had painters block for over a year mainly due to the fact that I was sick of my art being in its hobby phase. In March, when everything essentially came to a halt in St. Louis, I was open to the idea of painting again due to my abundance of free time. Now, I am back to painting everyday, selling my artwork, working on commissions, and relaunching my website. I am blessed with the ability to create colorful, abstract paintings to brighten the lives of others. I believe that is my purpose. This daily affirmation helps me remember that I am taking the necessary steps to build my art business, and trusting in those steps.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am drawn to abstract art because it allows me to express myself more freely. Art is my main outlet for relieving stress and exploring thoughts and emotions. I don’t plan much of anything before starting a painting, definitely creating in the moment. My acquired sense of style incorporates bold colors, texture, and movement. I use acrylics, acrylic mediums, and inks to create my paintings because of the flexibility that these give my style. The result is an unintentional body of work, created almost by accident. Because my intentions are never set in stone, people’s perception of my work is not either. I’m proud of myself for making the choice to start painting again. I’m proud of the fact that I feel confident enough in my work to bet on myself and take my art career to the next level. Was it easy getting to this level of self-confidence? No. But I learned a few lessons on my confidence journey. I learned that you have to trust your process. You can’t compare yourself to others (in this case other artists), but you can look at them for inspiration. This can be used to help set goals for yourself. But, the idea here is to focus on what works for your process. Also, I learned that in order to get where I’d like to go I have to be open to continuing to learn new things about my craft. In April of I took an online course that taught me to make better quality paintings and how to start my art business. This class not only helped improve my paintings but allowed me to turn my goals into action. A website relaunch was my first action step. Lauren Younge Art is my brand – colorful abstracts that are painted from the soul.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’d kick off our Friday evening by visiting the latest exhibit at the Contemporary Art Museum. We would then have drinks at the Angad Arts Hotel rooftop bar and then listen to a jazz set at the Dark Room St. Louis. Saturday we would take a drive to Augusta or Defiance, Missouri and visit a winery (or a few). My favorite winery is Chandler Hill Vineyards in Defiance. After a cat nap, we would have dinner at Mama’s On the Hill. We’d end our weekend with brunch at Vin De Set. We would walk off our delicious meal on the new Arch grounds downtown. The last stop would be a ride on the Ferris wheel to see the city at sunset. In the event that we need a sweet treat either of these days we would make a reservation at Bailey’s Chocolate bar.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shout out Olivia Clark, Janeth Clark, and Vera Jeanae. Olivia Clark is an amazing graphic designer based in Atlanta, Georgia. Janeth Clark is a photographer based in St. Louis, Missouri. She actually took the photos that I used for this interview. She is such a professional, it was a joy working with her for this shoot. Vera Jeanae is a hairstylist, photographer, and blogger based in St. Louis, Missouri. She is a gem, I always feel on top of the world when I leave her salon. These talented ladies rock!

Website: https://www.laurenyounge.com/
Instagram: @laurenyoungeart
Facebook: Lauren Younge Art
Other: Questions or Commission Requests: youngefineart@gmail.com

Image Credits
JCG Photography