Meet Lauren Middleton | Owner & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lauren Middleton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lauren, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I didn’t start painting until my first year of college. It was there that I saw girls painting little cute canvases to decorate their dorm rooms, and I thought I could probably do that too! Let’s just say that at first it wasn’t a talent of mine. I did figure out that I really enjoyed painting though, and it was a way to slow my mind down a little bit, I have always been an over-thinker! Over time I got better and tried different things as I went. I am completely self taught which I guess is good and bad in some ways. I plan to take some classes to continue to further my skills, but fortunately my now growing business keeps me pretty busy. I did not turn my artwork into a business until 2017 and in 2018 it started taking off a bit more. Earlier this year in the midst of the pandemic I had a chance to expand my art studio and now I offer my designs on baby clothes, ladies clothes, and home goods. It has been on my mind for a long time to expand, and I was so excited that I was able to take the leap! Since expanding I have moved into a store front as well as having a thriving online store. I love everything I am blessed to create! I have so many more ideas and that is one of the reasons I decided to make this a career. I enjoy the challenge, I enjoy the chance to share my creativity with others, and the sense of satisfaction when my work makes others smile!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
**This is a little bit of a repeat from the first question but I wanted to copy my “about” story from my website.** I started painting in college and to that point I had never really even picked up a paintbrush. There were girls in my dorm who were painting little canvases to brighten up their rooms, and I thought, “Hey I can probably do that!” I was not the best at it but enjoyed it so much. At that point, I never thought I could make it something more than a fun pastime, but, as the years went by, I tried new things and a style developed. I still have a great deal to learn, and each piece teaches me something to apply to the next work. That being said, I am completely self-taught which has been a long journey but so rewarding. My hope is that my work brightens everyone’s day and brings a smile to the faces of people who see them. My whimsical style combined with bright colors I feel is my signature, and I look forward to where the road takes me in the future! My other passion in life is my horses. I have been riding Cutting Horses since I was about seven years old and was fortunate enough to have parents who allowed me to begin competing at ten. I was hooked from the start as so many are, and the rest is history. There is a specific story in time and a specific horse that inspired the name of my studio. I want to tell the story of “Rusty,” the perfect little girl’s horse. In 1999, I wanted to accomplish the big goal of winning the World Championship in the Jr. Youth division. My Dad was totally on board and wanted me to help me get there, so the search began for the perfect horse. It took a little while to find him, but then one week Dad told me he thought he found the perfect one. We went to a show in New Roads, LA that next weekend where we planned to meet this horse and try him out. We got there right before dark, and I remember being so excited to meet this horse. I had to help set up the stalls for the horses that we brought with us first, but after we met up with Robert Rust who brought the gelding for me to try. As soon as they told me where he was, I remember running down the aisle to see him. Rusty was on the very last row in the very corner stall. At this point it was dark outside, and all of the lights were on. I looked through the wooden plank stall. He lifted his head up from eating hay. He was perfect. The perfect little girl’s horse, a dark seal brown with the longest mane and forelock and HUGE tail. I had to go in and pet him right away, and he was the kindest soul. I won all three youth classes that weekend on him, and we bought him right after that. I went on to win the Reserve World Champion that year and then World Champion the next year. Rusty taught me so much about showing these amazing animals, and he also taught me several big life lessons. He was my best friend. He lived out a happy retirement in knee high grass until he was twenty-eight. He passed away right before I started really pursuing something more than a hobby with my artwork. When thinking of what I wanted to name my studio, this story kept coming to mind. It was love at first sight for me when I saw Rusty, and that is the feeling and the moment I always want to think about when I am thinking about my artwork and my business. I want to bottle up that pure joy and love felt at that moment and apply that passion to my future goals in this amazing adventure. That is the story behind why the studio is named At First Sight Studio, because of the kindest brown gelding there ever was!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well I am a big foodie and I love brunch! I would take them somewhere for breakfast everyday. I love Press Cafe, Brewed, and anywhere on Magnolia Street really. I love 7th Street and the vibes in that area as well but downtown Fort Worth is my favorite due to great memories going there growing up. We would stay downtown when we came in for horse shows at the Will Rogers, so i would definitely take my visitors for one night downtown!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Gosh there are so many people to thank and dedicate my success to! I would have to start with my family. They have always encouraged my creativity and made me feel as though there were no limits to what i could accomplish. I have always been a dreamer and there have been very few times that I have felt that I could not accomplish what I have set out to do. I have to give the credit to my family and all of the people that they surrounded me with growing up. I also didn’t take the step to make this a business until a very good friend of mine pushed me to do it during a more trying time in my life. I give him full credit for not letting me back out and believing in my work. Most recently, I have to thank my husband. He is always supporting my ideas and deals with projects and artwork all over our house! He is always so proud of everything I accomplish and it means the world to have a cheerleader like that in my corner. I have to thank fellow artists that have encouraged me as well, from advice, to criticisms, to putting me up for shoutouts like this one. All of the people and the circumstances that have developed me into the artist I am today are cherished.

Website: https://www.atfirstsightstudioanddesign.com/
Instagram: _atfirstsightstudio_
Facebook: At First Sight Studio

Image Credits
Lauren Maeve Photography