A Creative Life: In the Studio with Lauren Horton

For our Cottage Cushion photo shoot at Oxleigh House in Nambour, we wanted the bedroom to feel coastal with a soft country charm: relaxed, layered and lived in. Hayley suggested we reach out to Lauren Horton to bring that feeling to the walls.

Her paintings sat softly in the background, complementing each colour story and letting our cushions and linen take centre stage. But in getting to know Lauren, we found ourselves drawn to the woman behind the brush: her story, her process and the creative life she has built.

We sat down with Lauren to talk about the path that led her here, the space where the magic happens, and what it really means to live a creative life. We hope her story inspires you to pick up a brush, rearrange a room, or simply trust the voice inside you that knows what feels beautiful.

In Conversation with Lauren

For readers meeting you for the first time, tell us a little about who you are. Where did you grow up, and where do you call home now?

I grew up in Victoria, in a creative home. My dad worked in music and graphic design, and Mum was raising four kiddos on a budget, which in that era meant a lot of homemade everything. She is always making, sewing, cooking, gardening and working hard with her hands (still!). This upbringing set the tone for my life: seeing them naturally use whatever was in their hands to share with others, make beautiful things and invite people into that process. I now live on the Sunshine Coast with my husband, our three teenage daughters and my dog, Buddy.

Every creative path has its turning points. Can you share the moments or life events that gently led you to where you are today as an artist?

While I have always painted, I actually studied Film and Television Production and worked in that industry for many years before I came back to fine art when my kids were little. Working in film gave me a real love for creative collaboration and for how different creative mediums work together, and I use this mindset when creating work for spaces. Many of the skills I learned through film are relevant to my work life now. I think of my experience in all the spheres I have worked in as the tools in my tool kit, which I reach for when needed.

Right now, I work between running my own art business and another family business with my husband, and I spend the rest of my week managing a team of creatives and art teachers at Art School Co. (a private fine art school on the Sunshine Coast) with some of my mates. More and more, I see that my art is an outpouring of a full life: a way to add beauty in the busyness, express myself and connect with others.

Were you always drawn to art, or was there a particular time when you realised this was the life you wanted to build?

It was always a natural part of my life, but not something I thought I would build a career in. I have used it to express and process my thoughts and ideas since I was a little kid. But as I had my own children, and my film and TV work became increasingly screen and travel based, I felt a yearning to work with my hands more. It was also fuelled by teaching others and wanting to help them unlock their creative voice.

As I built more confidence in how my work could contribute to spaces and connect to people's homes and lives, I fell in love with working with my hands and seeing that work take on a life of its own as it left my easel and people responded to it. I also just stopped taking myself so seriously and being scared of making imperfect art. I got to a point of loving the process, striving for excellence over perfection, and letting go.

Who first taught you to paint, or how did you go about learning your skills? Is there someone whose guidance you still carry with you?

My dad and my grandfather were my first artist influences. As a child, I think I just thought everyone had art supplies around to tinker with. I began a Bachelor of Arts majoring in fine art and politics at university before I switched to a film degree. Then, when my mate Jesse Leclerc (one of my favourite and most respected artists) moved to Queensland and bought her art school here, I jumped on board.

Over the last 10 years, we've been working together with a team of incredible artists. Working in collaboration alongside them has helped warp speed my skills and creative growth. Just working with others and sharing our knowledge has meant we have all grown heaps. I trust their guidance and feedback and rely on it regularly.

But my dad is the ultimate craftsman, and I am always encouraged and influenced by the way he lovingly works art into all he does without asking for attention. He lets the work of his hands do the talking while he moves on to the next project.

Which artists or creatives do you look up to, and what is it about their work or their way of living that speaks to you?

I mostly look back to artists from previous art movements. I love the work of the Impressionists, who were trying to paint how something felt rather than how it looked, and the atmospheric work of the English Romantic painter J.M.W. Turner. In terms of how people live, I am always scouring podcasts and stories from leaders in their field on how to live generously and effectively.

We would love a glimpse into your creative space. Where do you work, and what makes it feel like yours?

My home is my favourite space to create. Sometimes I do residencies or paint in friends' studios, but mostly I love to create surrounded by the life and chaos of family life. I love to potter around home, set up still life work, follow the light around in different seasons and paint in my dining area. I'll often find a rhythm between making a meal and tidying up, painting layers, then looking at my work after a different task before sinking into a flow. While I am working on a piece, it also helps to hang it in different rooms and light to see how it works in different styled environments.

I used to have a studio space in our garage, but I have moved back into the centre of our home and now create in our dining room. I keep all my supplies in a sideboard that looks like just another piece of dining room furniture, and whatever I am working on becomes the art that hangs in that room until it is done and moves on to its next life in someone else's space.

Could you walk us through your process, from the first spark of an idea to the moment you know a piece is finished?

I break my creative flow into three separate and distinct chunks that I have named and schedule time for. This has been a game changer for my productivity.

The beauty hunting phase. Once a month, I deliberately dedicate a whole work day to gathering inspiration and beautiful imagery. Sometimes this means a bush walk, a city day, sitting in a cafe with a pile of interior or fashion magazines, seeing a movie, or spending time immersing myself in someone else's creativity, whether that's music or art. I try not to think about what I need to paint in this phase, and just let my creativity get "fed" without thinking about the outcome.

The preparation, or pre-production, phase. I spend a whole work day in this phase once a month, plus a mini preparation session the day before each painting day to set up. This is where I devote a block of time to sourcing, shooting, saving and cropping images to paint. I prepare my supplies, measure and scale my surfaces, and plan exactly which compositions I will paint in my making days. It's a really important and practical part of my process: where my ideas get put into action, and where I make the unemotional decisions and design the work to be done at a later date.

The making phase. This is the later date. I paint for a whole day at least once a week, and all I do is show up to the plan I made in the preparation phase and follow it. I paint very responsively, but I always start with key imagery and a strong plan based on good colour theory and a solid composition. From there, I sink into the flow and see what marks work. I enjoy this so much more when my supplies and plan have been set up in a separate session. (I pretend a studio assistant did it for me, even though it was just me on a previous day!)

Separating these three phases helps me enjoy and give space to each part of my process. It also means I don't rely on a consistent stream of inspiration, which is such a slippery thing. When inspiration comes, I put it into my planning. I have about 15 works currently sitting in that prepared zone, ready for me to sit down and paint.

Do you have any small rituals that help you settle into a creative rhythm, such as a morning walk, a cup of tea, or a favourite playlist?

I need a clean space, coffee and time alone to really sink into my responsive painting flow. That's not always possible, so when it's not, I settle for a tidy corner with some form of beauty (flowers or a candle) and noise-cancelling headphones. There's always music, usually chilled jazz with house beats or something not too emotional that has a groove so I don't get snoozy, or an audiobook or podcast.

The other ritual, as I mentioned, is sitting down to paint in a space I've set up beforehand, often the day or night before, so I can dive straight in. Once I'm in a workflow, I don't like to stop too much. I'll often paint through dinner, with the kids doing homework at the table beside me, and late into the night. That's the benefit of painting at home: I'm always in the mix of life.

Where do you find your inspiration? Are there particular places, seasons or everyday moments that you return to again and again?

I gather inspiration in so many different ways: travel, art, music, delicious shared meals, being outside, looking at interiors, history and architecture, and old art books. I'm often drawn to still life work, or to creating paintings from fleeting moments. I love painting flowers because they are always in a state of change. They are either growing, being picked, or beginning to wilt. I love the idea that I am slowing down and paying attention to something that will only be as it is in that very moment, before it continues to change. I love painting clouds and skies for the same reason.

I think there is quiet power in giving something beautiful the most valuable gift I have: my time. I am always working on being present and slowing down enough to notice how much beauty and goodness is around me.

What is your preferred medium, and what is it about working with it that feels right for you?

I love paint, and I flip between oils and acrylics. With oil paint I can be slow and use more traditional processes, and with acrylic I can be very responsive and play around with design. The processes are so different that it depends on the outcome I want, or what the client wants if I'm working with a designer or customer.

When we approached you to create pieces for our shoot at Oxleigh House, what were your first thoughts on the brief?

I always love working with an existing palette or concept. My background in film means I thrive on collaboration, so it was lovely to have a palette and a starting point. I always make my work with the intention that it sits within a bigger story, rather than being its own story, so it's very natural for me to consider it within a space and work to enhance the other beautiful things around it, not steal focus.

How did you translate the feeling of Salt Living, and of the house itself, into the work you created?

I worked with more blues and muted tones, and kept my brushwork really relaxed. The pieces had elements of water and earth to line up with the tactile, luxurious, natural feel of the brand.

What did you enjoy most about the process, and was there anything that surprised you along the way?

I loved the collaboration, and seeing how the stylist pulled all the pieces together to create such a beautiful feel.

What does the next five years look like for you? Are there dreams, projects or new directions you are quietly working towards?

I'm currently working on a couple of small bodies of work that will be released early next year, and over the next five years there will be a series of drops of connected bodies of work. I also take a very limited number of commissions, co-run a mountain bike accessories business with my husband, and help manage Art School Co. A couple of my children will also graduate high school and become adults, so I'm interested to see how this season of change affects my art and work.

Finally, if you could share one piece of advice with someone who longs to live a more creative, authentic life, what would it be?

Don't wait for spare time. I am at my most creative and productive when I'm making it happen with the momentum of life around me. I haven't had access to some magical pool of free time, excess space, money or resources, but creativity thrives with constraints. So I encourage people to use what they have and just start making, a little at a time, and tell people about it. I feel that creativity is actually about generosity; sharing is the next step in making. So make something, then talk about it, show it and watch it take on a life of its own.

If it helps, you could try separating your process like I do, so you can gather inspiration, plan a project, then just get it done. One little project at a time. Or DM me on Instagram and I'll pep talk you through it.

A Final Note

A heartfelt thank you to Lauren for opening her world to us, and for creating pieces that sat so beautifully alongside our Cottage Cushion collection. Her story is a gentle reminder that a creative life begins with noticing what moves you, and having the courage to follow it.

Whether you paint, style, garden or simply love to gather beautiful things around you, we hope Lauren's story encourages you to trust your own eye. Your home, like your art, is at its most beautiful when it feels truly yours.

To discover more of Lauren's work, follow her on Instagram at @bylaurenhorton. To bring the look home, explore our Cottage Cushion collection.

With love,
Jacinta x

Images courtesy of Hayley from Whole Hearted Studio (@wholeheartedstudio) and Lauren Horton (@bylaurenhorton).