Story & Lesson Highlights with Lauren Lesley of Atlanta

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Lauren Lesley. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Thank you for inviting me back to be part of the Voyage ATL Highlight series! I’m honored to share space with so many artists whose stories inspire me. The most recent moment that filled me with both pride and gratitude was the opening of my first solo exhibition, DRAWN TO DUSK. I’m still processing the experience. Walking into the gallery and realizing how many people had come – family, friends, even those who traveled long distances – was overwhelming in the best way. There was a warmth in the sound of voices, the kind of buzz that comes when people gather with care and excitement. At one point I looked around and noticed almost everyone holding prints to purchase, and I felt a surge of gratitude. It was proof that the time and devotion I’ve poured into this work is being seen and valued. What lingers most is the look of pride I saw on the faces of my parents, grandparents, and friends. To feel their pride reflected back at me made the night unforgettable.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Of course! I’m a visual artist who works primarily in drawing and painting, using realism to explore memory, nostalgia, and mental health. Much of my work focuses on childhood objects and sensory details. Through slow, careful rendering, I try to capture the way memory is fragile and fragmented, yet deeply formative. My practice is shaped by my experience with obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD is often misunderstood or reduced to clichés, but through drawing I’ve found a way to give form to its invisible rhythms of repetition, doubt, and the search for certainty. One of my most important projects, The Mice and the Marbles, was inspired by a scientific experiment where mice compulsively buried marbles as an anxiety response. The series translates that tension between order and disorder into drawings, paintings, and sculptures.
Other bodies of work, like Time Capsules and Sensory Imprints, reflect on how memory clings to objects or textures. Each project is both personal and open-ended, inviting viewers to reflect on their own attachments and histories. I’m currently pursuing my MFA in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking at Georgia State University’s Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design, where I also teach. Right now, I’m preparing for my next solo exhibition and thesis, which will continue to expand on these ideas. For me, the most meaningful part of art-making is creating space where others can find echoes of their own stories, especially the parts that are difficult to put into words.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The relationship that shaped me most was with my first art teacher, Bruce L. Bunch. When I was eleven, I lacked direction and didn’t feel especially confident in anything. Drawing was the one thing I always returned to with unwavering passion, so my mother arranged private lessons for me. I was nervous before that first class, but Bruce was kind and encouraging. At the end of the lesson, I overheard him tell my mother, “Even if it doesn’t work out with me, you have to keep her doing this.” I don’t think he meant for me to hear it, or if he ever knew that I did, but it gave me a kind of confidence I had never felt before. Bruce became both a mentor and my closest friend until he passed away in 2016. His belief in me transformed how I saw myself and gave me the courage to pursue art with seriousness. I think of him often, including when I got into art school, when I graduated, when I sold my first piece, when I began teaching, and when I had my first solo show. His initial faith in me gave me permission to believe in myself, and his words continue to guide me.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
This shift happened in my junior year of college, when I began The Mice and the Marbles. Until then, my work had been influenced by my OCD but never addressed it directly. I hesitated because I didn’t want to risk misrepresentation, but I realized that one of the biggest issues with invisible illnesses is the lack of representation: people tend to believe only what they can see, and in observing OCD, people often see only the compulsions, not the obsessions that drive them. Through this series, I committed to making that hidden inner world visible. Drawing gave me a way to translate obsessive thought patterns, like fear, doubt, anticipation, into tangible form. That decision was a turning point for me: instead of hiding the struggles I was facing and turning them into something new, I began directly translating them through my work in order to promote connection and understanding.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think this would have to be that there’s a “right” and a “wrong” way to make art. In reality, every artist has to define their own approach, and I think this perspective is becoming adopted more and more each day. There are techniques that make certain processes more efficient, but it’s the combination of technique and intent that creates an artist’s unique voice. As an instructor, I try to reinforce this for my students. Rather than molding everyone into one style of working, I encourage them to pursue the skills that align with the kind of artist they want to become. Art isn’t about conformity but about becoming the fullest version of yourself as a maker.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What will you regret not doing? 
I do not tend to have regrets, but I think that if I were to have any that truly plague me in the future, it would be not taking opportunities and not keeping in touch with the people I love as often as possible. My life and work have been shaped by the support of family, friends, mentors, and colleagues, and I never want to take that for granted. I want to keep showing up for people the way they’ve shown up for me and to embrace the opportunities that come my way. When I think about my past and my future, it feels like this is the best way to live without regrets.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laurenlesleyart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doodledrawing?igsh=NHlmNmsybmZjcnZz&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmlesleyart