From Studio Community to the Greenhouse: Painter Amanda Farris Grows Creative Practice in Baton Rouge

For LSU alumna and artist Amanda Farris, making art has never been something she simply decided to pursue—it has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. Named Baton Rouge’s “Best Visual Artist” 2026 by 225 Magazine, Farris is pursuing an artistic practice deeply inspired by local nature.

“Dipping into Amanda Farris’s Louisiana-inspired paintings can be like staring long into a densely drenched bayou dream, with occasional glances of light breaking through some dark blanket and coloring the fingers of wild growth with more hopeful hues as the only possible guide through the leafy maze,” writes InRegister‘s The Creatives.

Originally from Baton Rouge, Farris grew up surrounded by creativity. Her mother crafted at the kitchen table, while her father spent time tinkering in his shop. At school, she continued to develop her creative instincts through art classes throughout her education in the East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System.

“Not to sound too cliché, but for as long as I can remember I have always been painting or drawing,” Farris said. “I grew up in a household where my mom was always crafting at the kitchen table, and my dad was tinkering on something in his shop, so I have always been encouraged to make things with my hands.”

That lifelong interest eventually led Farris to the LSU School of Art, where she found herself immersed in a community of artists that helped shape her understanding of what a life in art could look like.

Finding a Creative Community at LSU

Growing up in Louisiana, LSU was already familiar territory for Farris. But it was a visit to the School of Art that convinced her she had found the right place.

“I think part of the reason I wanted to go to LSU was because being raised in Louisiana, anything to do with LSU is part of the culture down here, so maybe a little bit of that was already ingrained in me and pulling me towards the campus,” she said. “But after touring the facilities at the LSU School of Art is when I really fell in love with the college.

“I had never seen that many creatives in one space together, and it really got me excited for my future in art.”

For Farris, some of her most meaningful LSU memories came from the studio. Whether working alongside classmates in the large, open studios of Foster Hall or creating in individual spaces in LSU’s new Barnes Odgen Art & Design Complex, she remembers an environment filled with energy, experimentation and camaraderie.

“I have so many fond memories of working in the studio late at night with my classmates,” she said. “There was always this buzzing energy that surrounded the studio. There was an undeniable sense of community between the growing artists.”

That community became especially important when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted campus life during her sophomore year. When students returned, Farris saw an opportunity to help rebuild the sense of connection she had valued so much.

LSU School of Art professor Kelli Kelley approached Farris about reviving Painter’s League, a student organization centered around painting. Farris and several classmates brought the group back to life, attracting both art and non-art major students and creating opportunities for students to reconnect through painting.

“Painting was not dead!” Farris said.

The renewed organization led to group exhibitions and art markets that brought students together across the School of Art.

“It was really exciting to get art students and non-art students excited about painting again,” Farris said. “This then resulted in several group exhibitions and art markets that united everyone within the School of Art.”

Today, that sense of artistic community remains something Farris misses most about her time as a student.

Finding Her Footing After Graduation

Like many emerging artists, Farris discovered that the transition from art school to a professional creative life did not happen overnight.

Her path after graduation, however, gave her experiences that would ultimately prove valuable to her artistic career. Farris worked at Bengals & Bandits, an LSU merchandise shop, where she gained an unexpected education in entrepreneurship and small-business management.

“Working at a shop selling LSU merchandise didn’t have much to do with my art degree, but I learned so much from it on how to run a small business,” she said.

Her experience taught her about the many responsibilities that come with running a small business—from day-to-day operations to the variety of roles an owner must take on. Those lessons have since helped Farris manage her own website and develop the business side of her art practice.

For the past year, she has worked full time at LSU design alumni-led MIMOSA Handcrafted in its casting department. The position has given her another opportunity to work with her hands while surrounding herself with other creative people.

“It feels absolutely amazing to get to be surrounded by creative people and also work with my hands again,” Farris said.

While her career path has included work outside of traditional studio art, each experience has contributed something to her larger goal: becoming a full-time painter.

Into the Greenhouse

Farris primarily works in oil on canvas, creating lush, vibrant paintings inspired by flora and the natural world.

Her paintings are saturated with color and dense with foliage. Plants from her own home often serve as starting points, but the finished compositions evolve beyond direct observation.

“I use a lot of my own plants in my home as references, but as the paintings develop through the process I stray away from a reference and use my memory to create the plants and the space they reside in,” she said.

Her process allows her paintings to move between fluidity and texture. She uses a variety of mediums to manipulate the landscapes, gradually building up layers of thick texture. Repetition also plays an important role.

“I like to use repetition in my work, so the veins of the leaves will often stand as a pattern rather than a detail to the form,” Farris said.

The result is work that moves beyond a straightforward depiction of plants. Flora becomes pattern, texture, memory and atmosphere, transforming the canvas into an immersive space.

That work will take center stage this fall when Farris presents her solo exhibition, Into The Greenhouse, at Kelwood Contemporary Art Gallery. The exhibition will run October 3–30, 2026, with an opening reception scheduled for Saturday, October 3, from 5–8 p.m.

Keep Making

For current LSU art students and young artists considering a future in painting, Farris has one central piece of advice:

“KEEP MAKING!”

She encourages students to create as much as possible—even when the work doesn’t turn out as planned.

“Make as much art as you can, even if it’s the worst thing you’ve ever made!” she said. “You won’t know what works and what doesn’t work for your creative process until you have tried new things.”

Experimentation, she says, is one of the greatest advantages of being an art student. LSU students have access to facilities, equipment and faculty expertise that can help them explore ideas and discover their own creative processes.

“Absorb everything like a sponge,” Farris said.

She also emphasizes the importance of maintaining relationships with fellow artists after graduation. Rather than viewing other artists as competition, she encourages emerging artists to continue supporting one another.

“The art world can be tough and your fellow artists should not be viewed as your competition after graduation but should remain as your peers,” she said. “There is no art scene if you don’t support other artists.”

For Farris, that sense of community that began in the LSU studios continues to inform the way she approaches her own career.

A Future in Painting

Farris’ long-term goal is straightforward: keep painting and work toward becoming a full-time artist.

“I am in the studio everyday working towards that plan!” she said.

It is a goal that reflects both where she started and where she hopes to go. From childhood afternoons making things by hand, to late nights painting alongside classmates at LSU, to developing her own studio practice today, Farris continues to build a creative life one painting at a time.

Her advice to aspiring artists is also the philosophy guiding her own journey: keep experimenting, keep learning, keep supporting your peers—and most importantly, keep making.

For Farris, the next chapter is already taking shape—one lush, colorful canvas at a time.