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The secret artist

Some of you might know Lauren Shantall for her brilliance in the media and PR worlds, but there is far more to this talented and delightful woman than meets the eye. We caught up with her to find out about her secret life as an artist after she was invited to show her work at Galeria Azur in Spain and shortlisted to exhibit her landscapes at Brick Lane Gallery in London.

Were you creative as a child? When and where did it all start?

I loved art as a child and took it as a subject all through school, including matric. I was lucky to be part of a small school with a talented matric art class. I grew up in Durban and have a love for Hindu temples. They have always inspired me — the bright colours and clashing colour combinations, and the spiritual pantheon, which I relate to. I also loved going to the KZNSA gallery. Gloria Hoff, who works in the gallery shop, encouraged me to make small things for the shop — tables painted with my own pattern designs and such — which she sold. Her home was always brimming with interesting art and people. Lots of rich, formative influences.

Have you had any formal training, and what are your thoughts on it?

I’ve been lucky enough to take life drawing classes with Clare Menck and painting classes with Diana Page, both of whom are respected artists. I’ve taken a weekly creativity class with artist and curator Sue Kaplan for the past two years and that has been incredible for me. With regards to formal training, I haven’t had any art education at tertiary level. But there is a special place in my life for teachers and mentors; I fondly remember my art teacher from high school Maggie Strachan, who is still teaching today. Respect! If it’s the right kind of training or guidance, it can unlock so much, and I don’t think it really matters if that happens at university, or on a friend’s couch.

Your use of colour is unique. Where does your inspiration come from for your incredible colour combinations?

I have always been drawn by strong colours. The walls of my home look a bit like a kindergarten — sometimes with three walls in a room painted different colours. And my wardrobe, well, there have been some interesting garment combos over the years! I find colour invigorating. Understanding that different colours have different wavelengths and connect to different energy centres in the body helps me to understand why certain colours can evoke a certain response in people. But I struggled with colour combinations in my painting until my teacher Sue Kaplan shared some colour theory. Now I understand better how to use warm colours and receding, cool colours to show distance — and also how to intentionally throw this off for an effect. I have also started to explore the spiritual and symbolic dimension of colour and how I can use it to channel and express my own joyous response to a subject. It sounds a bit clunky, but I sit with a colour wheel in front of me when I paint so that I can look at contrasting and supplementary colours. I have started toning down some of my colours so that they become more sludgy and nuanced, and I like the indeterminate hues and shades this produces.

Your favourite medium to work with? Other mediums to explore?

At the moment I sit with acrylic paint because it dries quickly. I am conscious of how little time I have for my painting as I have a busy work and family life so I need to use something that will give me a quick result. I never liked oil pastels before, but I am loving drawing with them now. Maybe when I retire I’ll explore oil painting!

Do you have a go-to ritual when you feel creatively blocked?

Please don’t laugh, but I don’t know what a creative block is. I’ve never experienced it. I only know that I have limited time and if I push myself too much, which I have been known to do as I have workaholic tendencies, then I become too tired to make something I am satisfied with. A good sleep, a walk in the forest or on the mountain, a chat with my husband, and then I can be at it again.

Whose work would you love to own, and why?

OMG, how much space do you have? The whole article could be about this! There’s so much that I love — and I have many artist friends and don’t want to offend anyone, so I will keep this to painters only. In terms of African artists, I yearn for a Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum painting — that woman is a genius. Also Michael Armitage, who must be one of the greats of our time. Locally, I have always admired Marion Smallbones’s paintings and am proud to have four of her paintings in my home. I wish a gallery would snap her up as she is too unsung!

Internationally, I love Anthony Cudahy (for the colour, but also his subject matter and treatment) and Americans Lois Dodd, Richard Diebenkorn and Wayne Thiebaud. Mostly I’d love to own pieces by some of the artists I follow on Instagram, who are a source of daily inspiration for me. I am mad about Ruprecht Kaufmann, James Dearlove, Matt Macken, Lisa Golightly, Benjamin Risk, Ben Crawford, Lasse Thorst, Jesse Dayan, Igor Moritz, Sophie Witter ... the list goes on. Contemporary painting is so varied and free and I understand its resurgence as an art form.

You were recently invited to show at a gallery in Spain. How did that come about?

The curator contacted me via Instagram after spotting my work. This digital age we live in is wondrous sometimes. The gallery is called Galeria Azur (www.galeriaazur.com) and has premises in Argentina, Colombia and Spain. Galeria Azur has been active in the Spanish art industry for the past few years, mainly through art fairs, and has now opened a permanent space in the capital, Madrid. My work will be on the inaugural show and is the first from South Africa to be shown with them. I met with gallery director Lucas Kokogian via Zoom and he said that my use of colour, which he considers to be neo-fauvist, is contemporary in Spain right now, and also relatable to the Latin American audience. I am excited to be part of the opening group show, Exhibition Collectiva, on October 22.

Have you considered becoming a full-time artist? Leave the PR world behind?

I’ve worked in communications since 1996 and I thrive in that space. I’m reluctant to leave it behind, especially my own agency, Scout PR & Social Media, which I am deeply invested in. I find that the creativity classes I’ve been taking feed back into my communications strategies in terms of how I approach problems and creative processes. Painting is a great outlet for my need to express. It’s also known to lower cortisol levels, so it helps relieve stress. This is a massive win-win for me and I don’t plan on changing how well it’s working.

Who would you like to collaborate with, and why?

I’d like to collaborate with an animator to see if some motion visuals could be generated. But I haven’t thought that far, so I don’t know who. I am still trying to get so much right on my side, I’m not sure I would feel confident enough to foist my fumbling on someone else just yet.

How do you deal with the insecurities and challenges that come with being an artist?

I struggle to even own the title “artist”. My husband, Derek Eyden, is a music composer so he can relate to those moments of self-doubt I experience and has been enormously patient and supportive. The exposure is hard and it means very much to me when people say they love my work. The encouragement keeps me going and I have an Instagram community to thank for their snaps. I have sacrificed a lot of time and energy that I could otherwise spend with family and friends to work on my painting, and so I do want it all to be worth something. But I constantly question the merits of my work, especially as I consider myself to be a learner painter with a long way to go!