Journal

Lauren Jones

Lauren Jones

Lauren Jones is a visual artist based on the Sunshine Coast. Working primarily in oils, her feminine portraits and still life scenes speak of moments captured in time.

Where are you from?

I’m from the Noosa hinterland, Queensland.

Favourite Sunshine Coast beach?

Little Cove, Noosa.

When you aren’t painting how do you spend your time?

I have a 1yr old daughter, so I spend most of my time running around with her.

Your go to local coffee spot?

Little friendly coffee shop ‘Fox and Hound’, Cooroy.

Highlight of your creative career?

So far, it was receiving the Emerging Artist Award from the Woman of Art exhibition, 2020. Sure, art isn’t about accolades or awards, but it has really encouraged me to spend more time investing in my art practice, and furthermore it’s given me a space to share my artwork with others and both those things are so important.

"My style has changed and evolved a lot over the years. I've always balanced back and forth from a few different styles of painting, but I think the older I become the more I'm finding my own style."

What is the creative process behind your work?

Finding inspiration from something I’ve read, or an album I’ve been listening to, I go about compiling imagery and researching the subject matter until I find a reference photo (often an anonymous photograph) that I use as a landing point for the painting.

I often create the work in one sitting, painting on top of my wet underpainting. I map in the light and shadow tones of the artwork until I feel that the rhythm and hue is right. I work quite quickly, and I enjoy, feel energised by the fast pace. The short time frame pushes and challenges me to problem solve and make the composition work without overthinking it.

How has your work evolved over time?

My style has changed and evolved a lot over the years. I’ve always balanced back and forth from a few different styles of painting, but I think the older I become the more I’m finding my own style.

Who are your favourite artists?

My favourite contemporary artists are Clara Adolphs, Laura Jones, Julian Meagher and Euan Macleod.

What inspired you to start painting? How many years have you been painting for?

For as young as I can remember, my mother always had my brothers and I doing art activities and playing with paint and colour. That really stuck with me and the art form a lot for expression and imagination.

When I was 17, I attended a painting workshop in Brisbane where an artist really encouraged me to pursue further studies. So, after graduating from high school, I moved to Melbourne to study a Bachelor of Fine Art and I have been painting for about 10 years now.

What is your style of painting? How would you best describe your style?

My style is impressionist and figurative. Someone once described my work as a ‘home-baked cake’, and it sort of made sense, like maybe it’s not something that’s grand and polished but there’s something right about it and it feels good.

I like to see the brushstrokes and the workings or construction of the painting and artworks that reveal that and celebrate the paint really inspire me. One of my favourite quotes about painting is ‘If you can’t see the paint, then what’s the point?’