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Whimsical and Simple
A USA-based oil painter Lauren Pretorius focuses her attention on the humble everyday objects that we can so easily overlook. Her endearingly glossy realism sheds light upon the beauty of the food in our kitchen, the quiet tulips in our vase, and the charming sheen of a sweet honey bottle. Pretorius also has an affectionate draw to the humorous and the whimsical, such themes can be seen cutely scattered across her portfolio. Cheeky rubber ducks and gorgeously anthropomorphized animals combine with her wonderful oil gradients that play with light and shadow, maintaining the tangible smoothness of her calming works on wooden panels.
As a child, Pretorius was “fascinated with art and the natural world. It has always been something that I have loved to follow and feel that it simply came naturally to me.” She continued to dabble in creativity throughout her childhood but went on the pursue a degree in Pre-Med; “something wasn’t right. I began to realize that this was not the path for me. I wasn’t happy and I didn’t feel passionate about what I was learning”. She navigated this monumental decision at a career crossroads with the help of her parents and decided to change her path and “took a complete 180-degree turn towards something I have always loved. Art.” Being content with her choice, Lauren went on to work as an optician to pay the bills as she worked endlessly with her art; “during those years I have spent hours upon hours of evenings and weekends working on my craft. It was only 6 months ago that I was actually able to set off on my own and become a full-time artist.”
Drawing inspiration from simple every-day objects, Pretorius celebrates these mundane objects in her minimal, yet almost tactile oil paintings. Lauren doesn’t have a solid intention with her works, preferring to display things as they are, but in a different light. She does hope, however, that the simple fusion of humble beauty, tactile softness, and bright energy can “bring a smile or even a bit of a chuckle to someone’s day.”
“I like to take these otherwise overlooked items and create a piece of art that exposes the whimsical character and intricacies of that object. I emphasize light and shadow in an attempt to make the ‘simple’ more interesting.”
Grateful for the opportunities and exposure social media provides, Lauren Pretorius feels “privileged to be able to show my artwork to such a large audience, ever since I began this artistic journey I sensed that things are constantly evolving with today’s technology – I feel that a sense of excitement for the future and the thought of being able to continuously learn and evolve with my artwork.” Her commitment to creating and evolving shines through in her passionately executed visuals that carry a gorgeously poignant optimism, gratitude, and lightness in their wake.
