Lauren Karjala, artist

Lauren Karjala, 2012.

I met Lauren a few years ago through her family (her father is a photographer). I was beginning to actively photograph artists in their studios, so I asked to visit her. At that time, she was living and working in the basement of her grandmother's condo, which had been transformed by her figure paintings, drawings, and sketches of all sizes.

Towards the end of our visit, I realized that, during our conversations, she had been sketching me. Before we parted, she wiped it away.

Lauren's senior exhibit opens at the University of New Hampshire's Museum of Art on Friday.