Art at The Ozarker Lodge

Ashley Laren, a local landscape and abstract artist, experienced her first artist residency—a retreat that facilitates a peaceful environment where artists can concentrate away from day-to-day life, gain inspiration for new or current projects and focus on themselves as artists. She didn’t have to travel far for the opportunity. She found it at The Ozarker Lodge in Branson.

She stayed for three nights, two of which her husband and dog joined her for. “It was an opportunity to openly create,” she says. “It allows the artist time to both focus on themselves, but also engage with guests who are interested in the arts and specifically what you are creating.” Participants of the Artist in Residence Program create different forms of art across the property, from the lobby of the lodge to beside the creek. Those interested in joining the program can reach out to Jordan Logan at 417-348-1683 for more information on how the program works.

Laren has been connected to art for as long as she can remember. From a young age, she was exposed to creative hobbies, sparking a passion for the arts. Originally from Leawood, Kansas, she moved to Springfield eight years ago. After discovering a newfound passion for art history through Missouri State University, she pursued Museum Studies and Studio Art. Laren primarily creates landscape art and in the last year began making abstract art. She combines vibrant colors, intricate line work and unique shapes to create bold abstract works. When creating landscape pieces, Laren says she likes to reference photos she’s taken of places she traveled to, primarily in the Southwest, taking inspiration from natural elements to create scenes influenced by landscapes all across America. Through her business, Ashley Laren Art, she creates and sells her personal work, and creates commissioned art.

Well into her career as an artist, she jumped at the opportunity to join The Ozarker Lodge’s Artist in Residence Program. She wanted the chance to create her artwork for the guests at the lodge to see, with the hope of making connections. But what she didn’t expect was the opportunity of self-discovery she was given throughout her time with the program, and through the art she created.

One of her favorite places to sit and create was the lodge lobby. “Not only are there a lot of places to sit, but the way it’s decorated just feels so comforting and warm,” Laren says.  She adds that the lobby was welcoming and allowed for a communal experience for everyone at the lodge. The atmosphere offered inspiration for Laren, both inside and out, and every piece she created during the program was influenced by her surroundings.

She enjoyed taking slow mornings out in the lodge’s well-kept, yet flourishing wooded lawn lined with a trickling creek, which is where she created her landscape artwork during her stay. Laren says that although the lodge is in Branson near the strip, it didn’t feel that way. “It’s in a woodsy area that feels so much quieter and quaint,” she says.

Laren created five pieces in total during the program: four drawings and one painting. Of the four drawings, one was of the lobby, and three were landscapes of the back lawn. She created her drawings with an archival ink pen, her go-to medium. Laren says when drawing, she likes to make her marks fast, fluid and sketchy. “I like to think of trying to embody the essence of the space I am drawing more than I like to draw each detail one by one,” she says.

Her fifth piece was an abstract painting she named “Inn by the Creek.” During her time at the lodge, she observed the architecture, landscaping and interior decorating she was surrounded by, and these elements stood out to her, inspiring the bright, bold colors and contrasts she used in the piece. “Inn by the Creek” was made using acrylic paint and collage drawings to capture an abstract representation of the color scheme and ambiance of the lodge. She says the painting is an all-encompassing symbol of the space she was occupying during her residency.