It has been about three weeks since I attended a workshop in Nashville with Carole Gray-Weihman. I have been holding off writing this post in attempts to further wrap my mind around everything that I learned, but I haven’t yet … Continue reading
I painted this commission piece in 2010 for a client who wanted to give it to her sister as a Christmas gift. Nashvillians will recall and likely never forget the historic flood in May of that year. This painting is of the sister’s … Continue reading
Last week I had the privilege of taking a two-day workshop from Australian artist Colley Whisson. The workshop took place at Leiper’s Creek Gallery in historic Leiper’s Fork, TN, a charming little town full of art galleries, restaurants and shops. … Continue reading
I’m currently working on two different paintings in my home studio and one at Artists on Main. I like to work on multiple pieces at the same time and move from one to the other so I never get bogged down. Since I have … Continue reading
Now that I have this fancy schmancy blog, I can recap some of the past workshops I have attended! First up, the fabulous Dreama Tolle Perry. I took Dreama’s workshop in April of 2011. Since this was my first art workshop, I didn’t quite … Continue reading
I truly appreciate when a painting has a good story to go along with it. It adds so much depth and meaning to what I do as an artist. This piece was painted as a commission for a repeat client. She requested that I paint it twice (Yep, two times! I never back down from a good challenge) — one for her, and one for her grandfather as a birthday gift. The cabin in this painting was built by him, so it’s a very special place to her and her family. She and her husband also spent their honeymoon and first wedding anniversary here. So sweet! About a month after the client’s grandfather received his painting, I received this e-mail:
“I just wanted you to know that my grandfather passed away this past weekend. He told my grandmother how incredibly happy he was that he got to see his cabin one more time. I cannot express my family’s gratitude to you and your work.”
That e-mail gave me chills, and still does. Just to know I was a part of something like that is so incredibly touching and nearly brings tears to my eyes. I strive to bring this type of meaning to every painting I create, especially commission pieces, and reread that e-mail often to reaffirm my dedication.
Thanks for stopping by to check out my new blog! This is me, jumping head first into the world of social media with my artwork. My plan is to blog at least once a week with a new painting or some other fun tidbit of knowledge. Although you know what they say about best laid plans – something or another about mice & men. Please check back often for new posts and in the meantime, look for my artist page on Facebook (there’s a handy dandy link on the right side of your screen) so we can be friends there too! Cheers!
Lauren Spires Fine Art 