Laurel Gillespie

Laurel Gillespie’s work is grounded in memory, light, and the beauty of the everyday. A Wisconsin native now based in Tennessee, Laurel grew up in a home where art was always encouraged. Her journey as an artist began with a third-grade drawing—President Lyndon B. Johnson in front of the White House, drawn after President Kennedy’s assassination. The image was sent to Washington, where she received a heartfelt thank-you letter in return. That small moment sparked a lifelong desire: to create art that offers comfort, meaning, and connection.

Laurel works in acrylics, watercolor, oils, and pastels, choosing each medium based on the subject and setting—whether painting a Tennessee field bathed in golden light or capturing the nostalgic texture of a weathered barn. A graduate of Eureka College with an art-focused degree, she also brings decades of self-directed learning through workshops, travel, and observation.

Her style blends contemporary landscape with a fondness for old, meaningful objects—windows into another time. Drawing inspiration from artists like O’Keeffe, Cassatt, Van Gogh, Wyeth, and Monet, Laurel aims to capture “a moment in time,” often guided by the patterns of light and shadow that stop her in her tracks.

Her process is intuitive yet thoughtful—starting with quick thumbnails and notes, followed by studies and photographs that help shape her final composition. She works mostly in her home studio, affectionately described as a “creative mess,” but also paints outdoors when the scene calls for it. Like many seasoned artists, her greatest challenge is knowing when to stop—a quiet discipline that adds to the grace in her finished pieces.

Laurel’s art has been shown across the Midwest and South, including exhibits in Illinois, Iowa, and Tennessee. Her work lives in many private collections, and she was honored with a People’s Choice Award at the Starved Rock Park Show in Illinois.

While she has completed commissions in the past, Laurel finds her deepest fulfillment in following her own creative inspiration. For her, art is not only an expressive outlet—it’s also a way to honor her faith and reflect the beauty of creation.

“There were a lot of detours on my artistic journey, but I’m still moving along.”