I am drawn to the darker beauty of nature…the starkness of late fall, the simplicity of a winter landscape, the coastline when conditions are bleak and the sun has no warmth. Sometimes I’m afraid to make dark paintings where someone might ask, “Where’s the sunshine?” I explore the interplay between my desire to be seen, known, exposed and the corresponding desire to be hidden, private, and protected. I strive to be honest and fearless and sometimes that is hard.
Lauren Thiem is a contemporary mixed-media artist living in Meridian Idaho. After earning her B.A. in Women’s Studies from the University of Southern Maine and an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from New College of California, Lauren entered the business world and worked in San Francisco for the next two decades.
Starting in the late 90’s Lauren studied painting with Michael Cookinham at Merritt College in Oakland California. With Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin she has taken international workshops and continues to study with them through their Cold Wax Academy. She also studies with Nicholas Wilton through his Art2Life Academy.
