Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren McElroy.
Hi Lauren, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been making things with my hands for as long as I can remember! I first got my start as a professional artist in the grocery industry, starting as a sign artist at Whole Foods in Baltimore, then at Trader Joe’s in the Philadelphia area. When my partner and I moved out to Los Angeles, I was able to transfer with Trader Joe’s, and a world of creative opportunities opened up. There were stores every mile or so, and I would beg to help anytime they were opening a new one. It meant designing and painting exclusively for 4-6 weeks with other artists, testing out new materials and skills (spray paint, stencils, 3D sculpture, lettering, chalk drawing, large-scale painting, wood staining, ghost painting, etc.). Those were some of the most fun memories from working with that company. I treated my time there like a paid internship, learning new things and figuring out how to make them into displays in a food store. I lucked out with a lot of supportive bosses, and towards the end of my time there, I was traveling around quite a bit.
In 2012 I started to do freelance commercial artwork on the side, painting logos, murals and signs. I was flying by the seat of my pants on every job, teaching myself tricks by watching others, buying books, and surfing the internet. I learned how to use pounce patterns, the traditional sign painter method of image transfer, by watching a YouTube video and driving over a sock full of artist charcoal with my car the night before the first job I ever used it on. It was invigorating to work so large scale!
In 2013, I quit my job at Trader Joe’s to run my business, L Star Murals, full time. I painted a lot of nursery murals and logos, building up my skillset and travel kit. I said yes to almost everything I could in those first few years- that led me to painting 40 rubber duckies, a mobile volcano for a wedding, designing tattoos, selfie mirrors, family crests, and other odds and ends.
I started getting hired for bigger things. I got hired on a few Kitchen Nightmares overnight makeover shows to whip up murals in the wee hours of the morning and expanded my client base to include design firms, corporate offices, schools, restaurants, malls, residential retaining walls, and more.
In 2019, inspired by a trip to Mexico City, I felt the pull to develop my aesthetic and start thinking bigger. I became interested in creating public murals and having a body of work that could be alluring for brands to work with. I got asked to participate in the first all-female mural festival put on by Ladies Who Paint in San Diego. I installed my largest mural to date over the fun-filled course of a week, along with 9 other women artists each installing their own pieces. It was exciting and fulfilling, and I put a little gas in my tank if you know what I mean. I was blazing through the end of that year, painting non-stop and ready to go into 2020 on top of the world.
Well, we all know how that year went. Cancellations galore and lots of fear that work was ending for good. But after a rocky start, it ended up being a pretty fruitful year. I hit the 40-store mark for the number of Trader Joe’s that hired me for artwork and painted more outdoor walls than usual. Since then, I’ve really focused on creating designs that challenge me, and steering this body of more stylized geometric abstraction into new directions. I’ve had the pleasure of working with many big-name clients as well as lots of local mom-and-pop shops, schools, TV productions, and even stayed in a Girl Scout cabin alongside a herd of goats for a mural project.
My goals for this year are to make bigger, more exciting work with great clients, to work alongside my friends, and expand my professional network. I have some other types of projects in the works, but I don’t want to jinx them by talking about them quite yet!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Running your own creative business is a rollercoaster! You have to get used to the ebb and flow of money and the feeling of rejection that an endless cycle of client revisions can bring.
I have had my share of ups and downs. For the most part, things go smoothly. The little problems always get worked out, miscommunications get cleared up, and drips get painted over. The ups and down in your mind can be a whole other thing though! “Is this scaffolding secure?” “Can I trust this client to pay me?” “Will we finish before the rain comes?”
Every once in a while, something really bonkers happens. Some of the wildest things I’ve seen on site are: a producer throw a pile of my designs on the floor in a fit of his own rage, a man ignite and tend a dumpster fire about 10 feet away from where we were painting, a client scream and demand that I use a porta-potty in his 10+ bedroom house then call security when we ate out lunch on the median strip of grass in front of his house. I have learned what to add to my contracts from these weird little mishaps (i.e., bathroom with running water!)
In eleven years of business, I have only had one client not pay for work that I had done. I’m still a little peeved about it because they are a large company who “works with artists” but I consider it a win that it has only happened once. And yes, there was a contract. But it turns out it was a pretty bad contract! Lesson learned.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
L Star Murals is a one-stop-shop design and mural painting company that specializes in a mix of bold geometric abstraction and unique visual storytelling. It is led by Lauren McElroy, an artist, designer, and mural painter who leans into unique compositions, clean lines, botanical imagery, and bright color combinations. But she can do quiet and calm spaces, too!
We’ve worked with so many amazing clients, including Target, Starbucks, Trek Bikes, Kaplow (for a Stanley pop-up), Building 180 (for a new Twitch headquarters), The Girl Scouts, Asus, Ford, Trader Joe’s, and so many more. Local small businesses and schools have also been some of our favorite clients and collaborators to work with, creating designs that have turned into brand identities, stickers, interactive murals, and more.
Creating murals feels like my way of bringing a little magic into the world. We are always on the lookout for collaborators who like to be creatively adventurous and fill their lives with a little more magic!
What makes you happy?
So many things make me happy! As a person that has struggled with depression for most of my adult life, I have learned to celebrate all the tiny joys as often as possible because they’ve been life preservers. Spending time with my partner, friends and family is at the tippy top of my list, along with, of course, snuggles with my kitty. Spending time in nature, dancing to loud music, eating chocolate, the rain when it finally stop raining, taking risks and getting out of my comfort zone, hiking, biking, singing, wearing bright colors, painting murals, using heavy machinery and power tools, belly laughs, traveling, the smell and taste of coffee, bird songs, skyscrapers, taking baths… I feel like this list could go on for a mile. Where to stop!?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Lstarmurals.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstarmurals/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lstarmurals/.
Image Credits
Morgan Chacon Photography
