Lauren McKee is a Nashville-based oil painter with a passion for capturing quiet and inviting stills that encourage the viewer to step into and feel a space, rather than simply observe. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Lauren spent much of her childhood visiting local museums and art galleries. It was at a Monet exhibition in the de Young Museum that she fell in love with impressionism and its ability to capture ephemeral moments and light in such an exciting and playful manner. The delight she experienced on this day is what Lauren strives to provide through her own work. Her style can best be described as realism with a touch of impressionism, retaining a painterly quality that serves to accentuate the defining mood of a scene.

Lauren graduated from Vanderbilt University in May of 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and French. She is a self-taught artist and has been painting since early childhood. Having studied French for fifteen years, she has been heavily influenced by France’s many artistic and literary movements. Lauren embodies Baudelaire’s concept of the flâneur, or rather flâneuse, in that she finds immense joy in the quotidian of urban environments. With a camera in hand, she has explored the streets of San Francisco, Nashville’s suburbs, downtown Los Angeles, Paris, and countless other locations. During these strolls, she draws inspiration from all components of urban life and has connected with many unique characters from a knitter on Valencia Street to a guitarist playing some tunes on Nashville’s Music Row. She finds art to be immensely healing and immerses herself in scenes that serve as reminders to slow down and be mindful, present, and appreciative of the brief moments that make up life itself. Through her art, Lauren hopes to provide a tranquil and soothing escape from the distractions and overwhelm of modern life.