Non-Profits – THE HIVE

I met Lauren at the art studio we are both are so blessed to teach at. Immediately I was taken by both her inner and outer beauty. She creates alluring abstract paintings that are helping her help others. Check it out!

Hi y’all! I’m Lauren, painter behind Lauren Ashleigh Art. I have fallen in love with Columbus, Ohio, since moving here in January of 2016 and have been graced with a precious job at Art With Anna working as an Art Instructor. I was so incredibly blessed to get this job seven months after graduating from Cedarville University. It’s a dream.

I never once deeply wrestled with the question “What do you want to do when you’re older?” I grew up loving drawing, painting, any way I could create with my hands. As a kid, I was especially known for my Crayola marker drawings that are still displayed on the walls and floor of the house I grew up in in Hebron, Kentucky. My ridiculous elementary and middle school art projects were entered into art shows by my teacher, and I can remember being recognized for getting 4th place for a drawing I did of my face in Picasso’s style. Clearly a prodigy from the start.

17918877_10154704668508907_881309015_n — A young Lauren original portrait of a man with hair.

Entirely kidding. Like many younger artists, I’m still learning how to share my work with confidence. As I’ve grown in the last few years, I have noticed less fear when I display or share my paintings. I think the reason being that I have been pouring myself so much more into what I’m making. Everything carries such depth, and most of the time a story.

My style of painting just happened when I felt like I needed to just release my racing thoughts. Since then, that technique is what is most freeing to me. My pieces are mostly inspired from struggles and victories in all types of mental illnesses. Just this year I began to take commissions. I have been approached from strangers and friends wanting me to paint them a piece. My heart actually explodes as we discuss the painting, because I have had the opportunity to hear others struggles with mental illness, and just dark times of their lives. I have freedom in painting commissions, it’s just me unleashing their story, feelings, and personality, however I think that looks!

Here are a few paintings I’ve finished this year:

My biggest dream is to be able to intertwine art, therapy, community, teaching, safety, a home and a school under one roof (I also am kind of ambitious sometimes). A rather large passion of mine is getting women out of sex-trafficking. I feel as if my art needs more of a purpose than just blessing me with another income.

One of the non-profits I love volunteering for is called She Has a Name.

“She has a name is committed to engaging and equipping volunteers, serving partner organizations, and providing job readiness initiatives for survivors. We join together declaring that victims and survivors of human trafficking have a name, nobility, and a narrative.”

I donate a portion of what I make to She Has a Name, as well as like non-profits and businesses and have given some paintings to She Has a Name for a silent auction and a traveling art show. Two smalls pieces sit on a beam in The Roosevelt Coffeehouse on East Long Street, one of my absolute favorite places in the world. They exist to help fight injustice and build what has become one of the most beautiful communities I have ever been a part of.

A little bit about The Roosevelt:

“You are supporting more than a coffeehouse. You are supporting the efforts of those working to fight the local and global injustices of unclean water, hunger, and human trafficking. We partner with organizations that we KNOW are building wells and latrines, feeding people locally and internationally, and rescuing & restoring dignity to those who have been enslaved.”

Check them out! Do it!

The last one I’ll mention is Uniquely Ordinary. I’ve been honored to have a lot of my pieces up for one of their galleries. Their desire hits very close to home.