Lauren Betty is one of the Southeast's most unique and rising artists. Known for her urban approach, textured paintings and resounding reds, Betty, as she is known, is on the tips of many tongues. Betty's experience has earned her a definitive style and a reputation for delivering bold exciting art.

Born in North Carolina, Betty spent her childhood riding horses on the Biltmore estate in Asheville. She studied painting and sculpture at Florida State University and earned her B.F.A. in studio art in 1995. She now makes her home in Atlanta, Georgia where she pursues a promising painting career.

There is a strong vein of similarity in Betty's works. She attributes the inspiration for her new and distinctly heavy textures to her journeys through Peru, which she began on Friday the 13th on a full moon of 2000. By using textures made of waxes, tar, found street signs and many other materials, Betty's work looks as if it has preserved a moment in time from a wall in a foreign land.

Her series of "Still Life" works hold strong to her use of texture. They can be seen as "studies" of everyday settings seen from an abstract eye. The vibrant colors dance upon the texture, givingthe pieces a three-dimensional feel.

Prior to her travels to Peru, Betty worked with Deljou Art Group under the nom de plume, Mia Stone, inspired by Mia, her Great Dane. She used the pen name due to the high volume of artwork in demand. During this time, Betty produced many of her own works and was concurrently heavily involved in the Atlanta music scene. She was involved in Atlanta bands, Superstar Pillowfight, Eliot James and the Snakes, and contributed vocals to Marvelous 3.

Her most recent shows include a solo exhibition at the Reed Gallery in Atlanta, GA (2001) where she was asked to contribute a painting to the Woodruff Foundation of Atlanta for the High Museum of Art. In the spring of 2001, she also participated in the Underground Atlanta Artists Exhibit. Additionally, Betty's Peruvian influence was exhibited at her solo shows at Studio Oliver, the Crescent Room and in a joint show with fellow artist Anke Schofield at the Reed Gallery, all located in Atlanta.

Lauren Betty's remarkable artwork can be found in many private, public, and corporate collections throughout the United States.