about.
Knoxville-based artist, Lauren Lazarus, has produced a wide variety of art in recent years, ranging anywhere from vibrant alcohol ink paintings to larger than life abstracts. " I find artistic inspiration through my surroundings in both nature and urban environments. Often times, when I'm driving around or walking through cities, I'm taking in the world around me from an artistic standpoint; imagining how I might recreate the spectacular cloud formations or the lines and curvature in the architecture or what colors I might use to convey the way the light bounces off different surfaces." No matter the medium or size, she is passionate about her craft, always dreaming of new content with music and nature being a powerful driving force. In 2018 she began painting realistic pet portraits with colorful backgrounds and they have continued to be a crowd pleaser with clients who love their pets! In fact, the overwhelming response to the portrait she did of her own cat, Ziggy, is what helped launch her small pet portrait business. Knoxville's Dogwood Arts Committee and the Central Business Improvement District selected her design proposal for a holiday mural in downtown's Market Square in 2018. On a 16 x 40 foot wall, using a ladder, paint and lots of glitter, she enjoyed painting a whimsical display with layered ornaments floating through space to give onlookers a healthy dose of holiday cheer! It was a nice respite from the tedious and delicate task of placing whiskers on dozens upon dozens of canvases. In 2018, Blank Magazine's readers poll voted her one of Knoxville's Best Artists. Combining two of her favorite things: music and art, she enjoyed working on murals for the Rhythm and Blooms music festival in Knoxville, as well as the Memphis in May music festival. In 2019, she collaborated with several other artists around the globe for the Idol Hands artist in residency program in Samara, Costa Rica. With their combined efforts, they painted a mural on an enormous community center wall to offer inspiration through art for locals and tourists. In late 2019, she kicked things in to high gear with the launch of her gallery (108-2 E. Jackson Ave.) in the Old City, called the LAZ Gallery. The physical location in a bustling area was great exposure for awhile but, unfortunately, the surprise pandemic threw a wrench in things as we all know. But you can't stop an artist from creating... no matter what. 2020 is the year for heavy social media usage and less face-to-face time, until a new "normal" presents itself. So please feel free to contact Lauren via this website, email or phone anytime.
