Inspired by: Lauren Barksdale

Inspiration strikes entrepreneur Lauren Barksdale, 25, in a number of ways. As founder of the girlie chic Elle Alexandra stationary line and a successful abstract painter, Barksdale tells 225 what influences and experiences have informed her forays into commercial design and fine art. ellealexandra.com, laurenbarksdale.com.

Your grandmother was a painter, right?

Almost every day after school, my older sister Shannon and I would be at her house, and if she was doing watercolor that day, we were, too. She lived right by our school, Our Lady of Mercy. When she got sick with cancer, we were there every day. Having the real supplies at her house—not just Elmer’s Glue and construction paper—was great. I was six, and my sister and I thought we were really professional!

What medium did your grandmother use most?

She did mostly watercolors and oils. And I work in acrylic, so there you go. But my whole experience learning to draw was based on the cartoons we watched growing up—those flat sketches and line drawings. If it was Rainbow Brite, then that’s what I would learn to draw. That, and I loved the Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake because of all the colors.

Which colors appeal to you most?

Blues and greens. My parents have some property in Florida—the Destin, Seaside area. And I love the beach. Those cool, soothing colors. If I could paint all in blue and green, I would, with maybe just a touch of red or orange.

So you remember watching cartoons as a kid and already thinking about the process of animation?

Yes, and also those flip books. Remember those? I had one that was an early Mickey Mouse cartoon. Steamboat Willie, I think. I was amazed by that.

Your stationery is much more playful and light than your abstract, almost cubist paintings. What inspired Elle Alexandra?

I spent an entire summer in the library looking at vintage Versace sketches and old illustrated Barbie ads from the ’50s. I grew up watching Gidget movies, actually. And my grandmother was obsessed with Shirley Temple. Every Christmas she gave us a Shirley Temple movie. Elle Alexandra is just about taking that older look and updating it with modern outfits I wouldn’t mind wearing.

What do your parents do for a living?

My mom works in my dad’s office. He’s a cosmetic dentist, so he’s very artistic, in a more 3-D way. Which is funny because sculpture blows my mind!

Did they introduce you to the arts in ways other than art camps?

Dad is very into photography, and he loves music, stuff from his generation. He remembers where he was, what stoplight he was at when a song came on. He’s the kind of guy that specific music is a memory for each period of his life.

Do you listen to music while you paint?

I do. Lately it’s been Michael Bublé. I love that old jazz sound. I pick stuff that I can play in the background and also concentrate on the canvas. Something soothing like Sarah McLachlan.

Which painters inspire you?

More so than painting, because I’ve been drawing my whole life, I love Leonardo Da Vinci’s sketches. Those tight drawings of hands and faces. The proportions amaze me. When you’re able to get that down, and composition, then you can really break free into the more abstract. My work starts out more like that and then gets looser and looser. Also Picasso’s drawings. Those are tight and nothing like what you eventually see.

What about local artists?

Well, as a graduation gift, my sister asked to go to Europe, and I asked for a Lisa diStefano painting. I love her work.

Do you have a most significant artistic experience?

Going to The Getty Museum in L.A. a few years ago. Walking through and seeing the paintings I had studied right there in front of me, it was amazing to see how artistic movements develop over time. I could have spent days there like I can spend days in galleries on Magazine Street in New Orleans. But at the Getty you can really see that art is such a direct reflection of what’s going on.