Art Student, Artist & Inspiration - Lindy Lane

My first encounter with Lindy Lane was at the Downtown Fort Walton Beach Farmers' Market where my husband and I were immediately attracted to her booth of artwork. Her artwork was full of pop culture references from some of our favorite movies placed on candles, buttons and hard stock paper. Upon leaving with a candle that had art from the movie Wayne’s World, she handed us her business card with her social media account. Ever since then I have stalked her art and personal Instagram frequently, ogling over her beautiful work and her insightful words. Lindy’s beautiful portfolio and her never-ending encouragement to young girls in their pursuit of art is the exact reason why I want to share her with my blog readers.

EDUCATION

Starting from a young age, Lindy saw her mom as the artsy-craftsy type who through her experience in schooling and her profession as a kindergarten and art teacher had excelled in the art field. Lindy remembers doodling when she was young, just hoping that one day she could be as good as her mom’s art that hung in their home. When high school came around her art teacher, David Veater, became a major influencer in pursuing art. Not only did he have unique, deep art installations, especially in their small Southeastern Georgia town, but he also had experienced many different jobs and places that greatly intrigued Lindy’s creative mind. Mr. Veater was able to give “the personal attention, push, and critiques [she] needed to develop [her] skills” and she attributes his contribution to her craft as being why she continued to create art. With the help of Mr. Veater’s lessons in technique and wise words, such as “draw what you see, not what you think you see”, Lindy was selected to participate in the Governor’s Honors Program in Georgia for art that involved taking college-level classes for six weeks over the summer at Valdosta State University. From there she continued her collegiant education at Atlanta College of Arts and eventually graduating from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Atlanta with a degree in Fine Arts and concentration in drawing and painting. During her time at SCAD, she encountered a loss that greatly shaped who she is now as a person and has given her a sense of growth. Unfortunately, her childhood best friend and someone she considered a brother, lost his life to suicide at the age of 20. Zach’s passing set in Lindy’s mind just how quick life goes and the idea that making herself happy needed to be at the forefront of her life. The negative stereotypes that the world and society might have about artists is something that Lindy has been able to push through because of her feeling that if Zach was still with her he would be saying “Hell yeah, sis”. Her formal training and the experiences she had throughout her years of life, has given her a strong mindset that she will not be “held back on something because [she] was trying to please someone else’s expectations”.

Lindy & Zach

LINDY LANE ARTWORKS

Lindy’s Instagram is filled with portraits for commissions, personal and shop pieces that are slowly, but surely growing and gaining her business. Being an artist is something that people do not always view as a full-time profitable career, but Lindy has soon begun to realize that being an artist is what she wants to be when she grows up, so she is working hard to advance her artwork. When creating her art, she attempts to find a good blend of what makes her happy, as well as, what will be something that will make money. She draws inspiration from movie references, podcast references and cheeky phrases for her online shop and at artist markets. Although creating is something she gains relaxation and fulfillment from, there are days where inspiration runs low and a project doesn’t go the way she wants. However, she finds finishing a project and having that “I MADE THAT” moment as being one of the best parts of the process. From mixed media drawing and painting to watercolor, Lindy knows how to create a piece that will grab people’s attention. Often times she enjoys taking humorous approaches to pop culture references similar “to how comedians often use comedy or satire to comment on social or political issues.” Humor carries into her real life and is actually something she considers one of the most important things in her life because she enjoys being able to laugh and not take things too seriously. Lindy has “slowly found [her] style and [her] niche with being able to paint portraits and other commission work for people who find [her] through social media” and I, for one, can not wait to continue to see the amazing work she produces through her growing social media and online store.

"KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON" - JOE DIRT

A healthy mix of movie and inspiring, but slightly less cliché than expected quotes, followed when I asked Lindy to tell me her philosophy of life. Not only did her life mottos aid to seeing her humorous personality, but also her motivational and empathetic attitude. Recently, Lindy has encountered a few girls who have come to her stating that they view her as a role model. She has gained a following of girls who have similar lifestyles as she had at their age, between working at bars or restaurants, going to school and having a creative output, asking her for advice on their art and businesses. Lindy views this as the “biggest freaking compliment” because by working towards her own art goals she has become a beacon for these girls. She remains humble amongst the praise, but wants to remind all struggling artists to “keep making, keep learning, keep promoting yourself and putting yourself out there,” because with hard work “you will gradually get better, your skills will increase, and you’ll get to the point that you’ll even surprise yourself.” Lindy’s art thrives because she chooses to use her whole heart and create art with such a positive energy and light around. That is why I chose to write a blog about her. Her art, her words and her soul is something that other artists, women and people should be exposed to.

Lindy may be a visual artist, but her way of encouraging her followers to pursue their goals is closer to a motivational speaker. Her philosophy on life gives others around her, and myself, encouragement to follow their dreams no matter how unattainable they might seem at the time. As a Communications major with a concentration in journalism, the dreams of getting to my goals professionally have been fading away with every class and every fake news article, but Lindy has given me a new insight on what I want to do to achieve my goals. There are going to be struggles in life no matter what profession or passion you have, but Lindy proves that by working hard you will grow closer and closer to your goals in life. After all "that glass can be half empty and still be half full," so keep moving and keep working.