These philosophies influence all of my art. When sculpting for Crimson Muse, I do not wish to merely put a character into visual form. I want to bring that character to life and capture their story. With Echoing Waters, I hope that with each textile piece I create, I am giving others a vessel to voice their interests, values, and visions, and to feel beautiful doing so.
What makes life interesting is everyone’s different perspective of it. We all view the world through different glasses. Our eyes are meant for viewing but our minds are meant for taking what we perceive and finding ways to show everyone our truths and perspectives. I tend to take my holga camera with me everywhere and wait for that perfect match of vision plus spontaneity to occur. It’s a way to capture an expression of my life. I do not just create art. I live art. And I hope to inspire others to do the same.
I believe that Art is a way of life. You must brave past the fear that comes with creativity and release yourself over to the power of your mind. Everyone is capable of being an artist, and when you allow yourself to explore all the possibilities that being an artist can offer, it can bring the highest form of happiness and fulfillment. Find your medium. Accept the challenges. Think outside the box. And express yourself.
Artist Statement
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Anyone who sees the world in a different way is an artist. You might not know your medium through which to express yourself yet, but once you allow your dreams and visions to take over, the rest will come naturally.
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Your body is a canvas. And you are the artist. Whether it be clothing, jewelry, tattoos, etc, let that be your artistic vessel for voicing your identity. You should always believe in who you are and proudly express that in all that you do. To me, that is the greatest form of art.
Throughout my life as an artist, I have come to live by two philosophies:
About Lauren
Upon graduating she established her two Art businesses, Crimson Muse and Echoing Waters, of which she is the sole manager, designer, and creator. She works with a wide breadth of mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, textile art, printmaking, papermaking, jewelry design, and more. She married her loving musician in 2014 and now happily resides with him in Virginia Beach. She is committed to taking her art to new heights, and her favorite and most fulfilling part of what she does is hearing back from customers who have been touched by her art.
Every day she wakes up excited to work on new ideas and new orders, or to go out and get inspired. With a committed heart she is moving full speed ahead, ready to take on new dreams, challenges, and opportunities that will continue to keep her eager hands creating!
Lauren McHale lives her life immersed in art. One of her first memories is when, at a young age, she picked up a pair of scissors and cut out silhouettes of characters inspired by an animated film she had seen. Since then her hands have never stopped creating. Her home environment in New Jersey growing up enabled her to thrive as an artist, where she was never without encouragement or support in her artistic efforts and aspirations. Her father gave her her first hardcover navy sketchbook that went with her everywhere. Her mother was an artist herself and taught her her first lesson: there are no mistakes in art, as mistakes are just challenges to take new directions to create something even better.
Following her heart, she pursued a Fine Arts education at James Madison University where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Painting and Drawing. There she met the love of her life, a musician, who has been inspiring her art ever since.