Lauryn Squyres is a fine artist based in Oregon, Florida, and Arizona. Growing up in Southern Oregon's Rogue River Valley, she embraced art from an early age, drawing and painting in much of her free time. By the time she was in high school, Lauryn was a regular participant in art competitions and at the local County Fair, receiving numerous accolades and being honored with multiple People's Choice recognitions for her artwork.
Lauryn Squyres portrait, oil-on-canvas, by Frank Ordaz
Right after high school, a highlight for Lauryn was being invited
to participate in a studio oil painting class taught by Western portrait and landscape painter Frank Ordaz. During his time as a young artist with George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic in the pre-CGI era, Ordaz did matte painting for Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies, among others, contributing to numerous
Return of the Jedi matte painting by Frank Ordaz
iconic scenes in those motion pictures.
Although Lauryn works in a variety of mediums, Ordaz's instruction in portraiture and oils was the initial spark that inspired Lauryn's love of fine art oil painting.
Lauryn had the privilege to learn Disney character drawing from the late animator Phil Young (the creative talent in many films
Mufasa sketch by Phil Young, 2019
over his 25-year career with Walt Disney Animation Studios, including Mufasa in The Lion King, Mrs. Potts & Chip in Beauty and the Beast, Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Kuzco and Kuzco Llama in The Emporer's New Groove, as well as characters in Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and a dozen others). Getting to learn from an artist who was mentored by many of the Disney legends dubbed by Walt Disney himself as the "Nine Old Men" was an incredible experience; as a young artist,
Lauryn's appreciation for having had the opportunity to participate in that connection back to the very roots of the Walt Disney Company so long ago grows with each passing year.
Lauryn studied painting, drawing and photography at Arizona State University, has worked as a photographer for the Walt Disney Company at Hollywood Studios and as a "Batuu Image Specialist" at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, and is currently a content creator focusing on her artwork and advancing her career as a fine artist.
Lauryn is inspired by clouds, vibrant colors and the dreamlike spaces that are often portrayed in her work, and aspires to one day be a licensed artist for the Walt Disney Company
so she can pursue and share her love of Disney art and character painting. She embraces art the "old-fashioned" way, with oil paints & canvas, watercolor, pen, ink & brush. You can often find Lauryn looking for inspiration in the Southwest Deserts and at movie theaters, as well as Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
