Lauren O’Toole (b. 2003) is a fine artist based in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Growing up, her parents were staunch advocates of fostering her love for the arts. After showing an early interest in oil painting, she enrolled in private lessons at the age of nine and has been an avid practitioner of the medium ever since. In high school, she submitted two Advanced Placement (AP) Drawing portfolios, both earning top marks. The most recent of which— Unwound (2021) — received a perfect score, placing her work in the top 1% of 20,000 submissions.

In 2023, Lauren traveled to Florence, Italy and studied plein air painting as a transient student of The Academy of Art University. The dynamism of working on location was revolutionary to her practice and transformed her relationship with the medium. Since returning home, Lauren enjoys experimenting with plein air in the Pacific Northwest.

Lauren recently graduated with her B.S. in Marketing and Design & Innovation Management at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. She currently resides in nearby Portland.