I'm Amber-Lauren Ballantyne-Styles, a 19 year old professional commercial artist and I bypassed university in order to launch my brand Amber-Lauren Fine Art. I secured the mentoring of The Prince's Trust in April 2014 and I hope to become an Ambassador for the Trust later this year so I can help other young people in their quest to make their vocational dreams come true.
My art business developed out of adversity when I was harangued by my acrobatic gymnastics coach at the age of 13. If you're reading this whilst having a coffee break, all will be revealed if you watched a Youtube video that my Mum made to help me through this difficult period in my life. It is important to me to champion young girls with body image and bullying issues. Last year I donated a painting for auction to B-eat, the UK's largest eating disorder charity, to help raise funds and awareness.
Having been home educated from the age of 11, I was accepted into college a year early where I studied for a Diploma in Art and Design. I went on to do a Foundation in A&D to secure a university place at The Ruskin in Oxford where their admission limit is 24 per year out of thousands of hopefuls! I wasn't one of the lucky few, but this was to be the catalyst that motivated me to start my business plan - and most importantly getting a collection of art together! As well as several exhibitions in the UK, my work is now in the following galleries - Art for Art's Sake in Twyford, Berkshire and The Burford Garden Company Art Gallery in the Cotswolds.
I held my first exhibition in Oxford aged 17 which attracted the press, TV and radio and from then on, I never looked back! I've been featured in several online magazines and I've won three huge Art Awards this year. My clients include Pirelli F1 Motorsport, a large UK Hotel chain and celebrity author and former Bond Girl actress, Fiona Fullerton. I've procured some great testimonials from Sir Richard Branson, Sonia Meaden (mother of Deborah Meaden from The Dragon's Den!), Fiona Fullerton and New York art critic, James Skully from Wallbreakers.
Thanks to the wonders of Social Media, I've sold much of my art and I'm currently in talks with a New York artist with whom I am discussing a show in Manhattan before Christmas 2014. I'm also working on a very exciting Art Show project in London with The Cult House and its creator, J A Neto from Brazil. I very recently won an award with Eli-Chem Resins Uk Ltd., (suppliers of the resin glaze I use on many of my paintings) and my inclusion on this site was part of a cash/product prize. As a direct result of being on Artist's Info, I'm now in talks with a very young artist and her mother from New Hampshire, northern USA. There are so many parallels to this gifted artist and myself, it's quite uncanny! I know my story and success so far has been a great inspiration to this family. Amaranthia Sepia Gittens-Jones the artist whose name is above mine on this site's listing, is using her art to help heal the emotional scars caused by her perpetrators. Like myself, this is already stirring the interest of the media in the USA and is catapulting her into the eyes of art collectors!
Amarathia (AmaSepiaChan) and I have also done much charitable work and my most recent donation to the Rays of Sunshine Children's Charity was held in the prestigious Berkeley Square in London's Mayfair where my painting outsold a Tracey Emin and was auctioned alongside a Salvador Dali and a Sir Peter Blake!
On a day to day basis, I teach art to children and adults one-to-one and in groups in my art studio in Garsington, Oxford, UK. I have a stunning collection of Italian silk scarves/wall hangings using my art for the designs and I hope to launch these products in the near future at The Prince's Trust's Tomorrow's Store! For more information and to purchase my Art, please go to my website.
With many thanks for your interest!
Ambi XOX
