Lauren Klose is the founder and owner of Artistic Aire, which she started in 2003 and has continued to grow it over the years. It allows her to do what she loves and showcase her creative side in a variety of artforms, including recently completing the Nocatee Town Center mural.
Can you please tell us a little about your background?
I’m a Virginia girl and lived there for 26 years, going to college at James Madison (University) where I earned a fine art and graphic design degree.
I worked as an apprentice my first years out of college and learned a lot.
We moved down to Ponte Vedra right after my daughter was born because my parents live in Marsh Landing.
I really wanted to be closer to them. It was 10 years ago in October.
Have you always had a creative side and a passion for art?
I took my first piano lesson when I like 3 years old. I have just always naturally drawn to music and art from a young age.
I come up with images of my ideas in photoshop so that my clients can see and get an idea what it would look like once I’m finished.
My husband does a lot of the renderings for me. He even helps me paint on the bigger projects. It’s a group effort.
I thought at one point I would be more of a graphic designer that a painter, but the path lead me to more of the fine art route.
How did the idea for Artistic Aire come about, and how long have you been involved with it?
I started Artistic Aire in 2003 and naturally named it as Aire with an “e.” It’s a musical reference because I’m also a pianist.
At first, Artistic Aire was a way for me to make money by teaching piano lessons as much as it was painting.
What are the most rewarding parts of the job?
It’s a really amazing thing to do what you love doing every day.
I feel grounded and super blessed by for the stream of clients I have had coming in. I had 50 clients last year and we’re already booked through February of this year.
When I’m doing a big project outside in public there is more interaction that comes with it. People like to say hi or wave as they walk by.
What are some of the challenges that you face with your jobs?
I’ve only done two massive projects in a community space, but the larger the project, the more that goes into it.
One of the largest projects I’ve done is the Nocatee mural I completed in November. It is 22 feet high and another 30 feet wide.
I set up scaffolding but the height of a project can definitely come into play at times.
What are some of the neat projects you are working on?
I’ve started doing more watercolors this past year.
It’s always so inspiring to see what other muralists are doing around the world or in the country.
I will pass projects on to other muralists if I don’t think I can properly execute it.
I try to tackle almost everything, but I don’t do ceilings anymore. It just really puts a toll on your back over the years.
One of my goals this year is to become a spray artist as well as brush.
I’ve never done two of the same murals. I like that because it keeps it fresh and the creative juices flowing constantly.
What do you enjoy most about living in the Northeast Florida area?
I love that we’re close to the beach and raising both our kids in Nocatee. The neighboring community in Nocatee is pretty special.
I’ve slipped right into the southern hospitality down here.
What do you like to do in your free time?
We’ll take the kids to the beach and do a little surfing and we cook a lot together as a family. It’s probably the most important life skill that everyone should know.
Abbey is 10 and plays the piano and surfs; Trevor is seven and plays the piano and tennis.
I gave my daughter her first piano lesson when she was five or six and my son got his first in March 2020.
