November arrived and we are off to the holiday season races launching new artists, massive group shows, and everything in between. At Well + Wonder we love this time of year! So y'all may be saying to yourselves "ladies, take a break during this lead up to the Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas" and to that we say never! We are sending ourselves into holiday season the best way we know how and that, my friends, is by launching yet another fabulous Well + Wonder artist! Join us as we say, welcome Lauren Bolshakov! Lauren Bolshakov is a mixed media painter based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her art practice is centered on a dynamic process of layering paint and line work, with each layer intuitively responding to the previous, creating works filled with movement and expression. Drawing inspiration from nature, motion, and the transient beauty of florals, her most recent body of work explores the convergence of fluid, transparent paint with denser, heavier-bodied applications. Lauren’s art embodies a constant mark-making process— obscuring and rediscovering, pushing and pulling, to bring tension and harmony within each piece. Outside of the studio, Lauren is an active member of her community. She currently serves on the boards of The Foundation for Tomorrow and The McColl Center. As we prepare for Lauren to join the W+W team we wanted to get to know her more professionally and personally. So, on the eve, eve, eve of her Well + Wonder release, we sat down with Lauren to chat and learn a little more about this talented artist…
What is currently on your nightstand?
Don’t let my carefully styled IG photos fool you, currently on my nightstand are about six books plus my Kindle, a water bottle (or two), a sleep mask, chapstick, and Alexa.
Who is your biggest influence as an artist and why?
I am immensely influenced by Elaine DeKooning, Helen Frankenthaler and Joan Mitchell.I love that they held their own in a male dominated art scene and point in time. They had a raw, emotional approach that broke through so many boundaries. They weren’t afraid to embrace imperfection or intuition, which comes across beautifully in their art.
If you could only have one supply in your art studio, what would it be and why? Paint!
I’ll figure out a way to get it onto something!
What is your favorite room in your house? Describe it.
My favorite room in the house has to be my piano room, which also doubles as a library. It’s the first time I went all in with color—no white walls here, not even on the ceiling! The bookshelves are filled with my favorite reads and little pieces of my life, and there’s a super cozy chair that’s perfect for curling up with a good book and coffee or wine. It’s also where I’ve take FaceTime piano lessons with my teacher, who’s all the way in Buenos Aires. It’s calm, inspiring, and full of things I love.
What is the benefit of buying art through a collective? What do you recommend for those that are new to buying original art?
Art collectives are a fantastic way to connect with art in a meaningful way while supporting creativity at its source. Collectives bring together artists with a range of styles, mediums, and perspectives, and the curated selections can make finding high-quality, original pieces that resonate with you super easy. When you first start collecting original art, listen to that little feeling in your stomach that happens when you find a piece that’s meant for you.
If you have the entire day to spend in an art museum, which one and why?
There are never enough hours and days for the museums that I love! A few of my favorites are the Mint and Bechler in Charlotte, NY, The Met, MoMa and the Natural History Museum in New York, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
What is your favorite hotel and what makes it special?
I love the Peninsula Hotel in Paris because the lobby has an artistic glass sculpture called "Dancing Leaves" designed by Ludek Hroch. And it is where my husband and I stayed on our Engagement-moon!
If you were a lipstick color would you be red, pink, or clear and why?
In the year 2012 I made a New Year’s resolution to wear red lipstick, and I did for years after that! But somewhere along the way I started to wind it down and now I think I’d answer pink. Chanticaille Tea Rose to be exact. I don’t wear a lot of makeup but when I do, that’s a must.
I can never get on a plane without…
A book.
How did you get into the world of art?
I've always felt a strong pull toward creativity. My journey in the art world started in 2007 and has been a gradual evolution. It began with online marketplaces, then grew into licensing opportunities, gallery shows, and ultimately a focus on creating original works. In 2014, I shifted my attention more fully to abstract art, and over the past decade, I’ve embraced representational compositions and deconstructed florals, exploring the balance between form and expression. Each stage has deepened my connection to my work and my creative voice.
What do you do to relax?
Some may not call this relaxing but I love to run. I’m running my seventh marathon next year. More in line with traditional relaxation, I love reading and snuggling my little doggy bear.
When do you get the biggest surge of inspiration?
On runs, on vacation, in museums, on walks, and when talking with friends (especially ones that also have creative careers, not necessarily visual art but makeup artists and jewelers and floral arrangers for example).
Prediction for the Color of 2025?
I’m going to go with…… Forest Green. Or Slate Blue.
What is your idea of a date night? Dinner and a movie or dancing all night?
Ironically, since I met my husband dancing tango and we used to spend every spare second practicing or socially dancing, I would have to say now that it’s dinner and a movie. But on the couch - I am a total homebody at heart.
Tell us about your favorite painting that you have created.
My favorite pieces are usually the first in each new series. There’s something about the initial exploration—the push and pull of a fresh idea—that feels so raw and exciting to me. While the viewer might not see the entire process, I think there’s an energy in those early pieces that captures the thrill of discovery.
One piece of advice for buying original art?
Buy the pieces that speak to you, even if you have no idea where to put them - you will always always find a spot for the works that you love!
