Lauren Asta
My name is Lauren Asta. I am a muralist and artist. My art and murals are well known from San Francisco to Chicago to New York City- and beyond. I specialize in illustration, doodle art and public art. I thrive on the creation and accomplishment of public art and its process: connecting with people, building community, and contributing uniquely and positively to the world.
The way we are fed information plays an important factor in how we respond to any public message. It is my goal to convey information, whether it's heavy or lighthearted, in an attractive and animated way. Creating public artwork allows me to visually stimulate an audience and if I'm lucky, inspire them with my cast of characters doing what they do best; being humorous about the human experience.
Art creates an emotional connection within us. Art allows us to pay attention to our environment, to be connected to it and thus be connected to each other. I want my time here in this lifetime to be special and meaningful. Using my emotional and human experiences through art allows me to make my mark in this world. My desire to contribute something positive and worthwhile is so strong, one might say art is what makes me feel human.
My murals are all hand painted freestyle typically without any aid of a sketch, projector, or traced outlined. The fact that I work completely freehand, and by myself, attracts a large audience. People are in disbelief most of the time that I do not use an aid in my work. My extensive experience in public art over the last 10 years has built my confidence in understanding who I am as a public artist. I know what an honor it is and how big of a responsibility it is to be a public artist, I know what supplies I need, what an appropriate amount of time is required, and of course I know many methods on how to apply my materials effectively. I have had enough "trial and error" experiences to know what works best for me. Collaborating with clients and communities can sometimes be consider an artists worst fear, but for me it is an exciting way to nurture my desire to grow as an artist. Understanding a persons desire and creating a "product" from both our minds is a challenge that I am always willing to accept and excel at. The mural process is quite simple for me... I need paint, no rain, a blank wall, a scissor lift and time... I typically start in the bottom left corner and work left to right, up to down (imagine a typewriter).