Today we’d like to introduce you to Hillary Lauer.
Hi Hillary, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always had a passion for portrait drawing and painting. As a little kid, I was constantly getting in trouble for drawing on the walls. Now, at 32, I paint murals professionally-only getting yelled at occasionally. Though my focus is on my fine art, Murals have financially allowed me to focus on my practice in the studio. I love to with unlikely color combinations and abstract line work to create familiar faces in an unusual way.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Pursuing art is not the smoothest path-but as many artists will tell you, it’s worth it. I dove into my full-time career at the start of 2020 in the wake of covid. A lot of my clients commissioned pieces from me because they were stuck inside for the first time. Covid impacted arts in such a powerful way. Musicians and visual artists alike were starting to tap deeper into their creativity. I know I started taking more creative risks, experimenting with edgier subjects like nude portraits and politically charged works. It was cool to see a renaissance come about from Covid. It’s interesting to see how the pandemic mimicked history- causing an artistic renaissance much like the one that rippled off of the Bubonic Plague.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in abstract portraits and abstract expressionism. Though I paint almost everything from Nike shoes to landscapes-my heart lies in the ability to capture human expression in a painting. There’s something about communicating emotion through a painting of a person that really makes me tick. I also paint murals professionally-I’ve done murals in ice cream shops, city parks, tech companies, homes, etc. Working on a large scale has taught me to focus back on fundamentals and not try to get to fancy with it. Those can be expensive experiments. I’ve learned that simple is better with murals; which is not something I’m used to when painting on canvas. Mural-wise I am most proud of the ground mural I worked on in San Francisco in Transbay park last Summer. It was a month-long project painting on the ground in the heat with a very tricky paint. A close second would be the Nikes I spray painted on Melrose called “Hunks Before Dunks.” Muraling has been a challenge both mentally and physically-but it is such a rewarding feeling to have such a public piece of art. I love seeing photos that people take of my pieces on Instagram. It’s cool to be reminded months and even years later of a piece. Studio-wise, I’m very proud of my Biggie portrait that I created for a client’s wedding. I also did a fall collaboration with Coach at a pop-up in Denver that sold out!! Keep an eye out for my winter collection with Coach.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I love using the da Vinci eye app for outlining a simple mural. It allows me to map out my mural in real-time. This has its drawbacks, however, when it comes to details. If I’m doing a detailed mural, I love using a doodle grid. It allows me to map out specific features very accurately. It’s a nice way to cross-reference a photo to a large-scale wall. Podcasts for art-I like Matt Gondeks Clean Break. My favorite interview is the one he does with Ballonski where they talk about being on “the Fringe.” Another app I love is Clubhouee, I met a ton of amazing artists on there during the pandemic and we still talk to this day.
Contact Info:
- Website: Hillustrated.com
- Instagram: @hil_matic
