Photo credit: Mallory Bates
This content originally appeared in the 2022 issue of Spooky Little Halloween—The Magazine. All photos courtesy of Laura Lee with select photos by Mallory Bates.
Don’t lose your head, but one of your favorite Halloween Instagrammers has a secret account you might not know about.
And it all started with the iconic Headless Horseman in September 2020.
“I’d been doing symbolist portraiture for years up until then, but it was more of a hobby,” says Laura Lee, the ghoul behind @thehalloweencollector on Instagram. “I’d always wanted to do art for a living, but it never seemed feasible. When I painted my Headless Horseman mural for a collaboration project, I was stunned at the reception of it and that so many people wanted to buy prints.”
BUILDING HALLOWEEN HILL
Those prints sold out immediately, and the time was right to take things a step further. Laura created a new Instagram account, @halloweenhillstudio, and launched an online shop on Etsy where she started releasing oil painting collections. This fall will mark two years since she combined her artistic talents with her love of Halloween.
“My mission is to bring a fine art sensibility to the Halloween genre—so oil paintings but make them spooky,” she says. “The best part about it has been connecting with other Halloween art enthusiasts and creating new pieces to put out there. The possibilities are endless.”
A CHILDHOOD LOVE
Laura’s love of art, much like her love to Halloween, goes back to childhood. She lived in Massachusetts but would visit her grandparents in Texas, the state she now calls home, for two weeks every summer. At age 11, her grandmother thought Laura and her cousin might enjoy a painting class. She was right.
“It was a small studio across from the high school, and two kind ladies ran it,” says Laura. “We’d go every afternoon for a few hours to paint. You purchased a ‘how to paint’ book from them. Then you’d find a finished painting you liked, and you’d copy it. Being 11, I chose a cat trying to get a fish out of a fishbowl. I remember mastering the shadow underneath some seaweed and being giddy with excitement! From then on, I was hooked on art. And I still have that hilarious painting as a souvenir.”
Once she picked up her first paintbrush, she never put it back down. While she’s dabbled in other mediums and enjoys drawing, painting remains Laura’s favorite. “I suppose it’s my love of color and making loose brushstrokes. I feel most in control of my work when I have a brush in hand.”
SPOOKY NOSTALGIA
It also doesn’t hurt to paint a subject you love dearly. Like many Halloween lovers, October 31st has always held a special place in Laura’s heart for its magical, spooky feel. Spending her childhood in Massachusetts didn’t hurt either. Laura’s memories of October are full of rustling autumn leaves, haunted hayrides, and trick-or-treating. Painting Halloween scenes is a way to recapture her memories and indulge in a bit of nostalgia.
“I have an ongoing list of themes I feel drawn to that would be fun to put a voice to, and I simply keep going down the list. My favorite one so far is probably my haunted hayride collection from [2021] because it really brought back my childhood nostalgia. I was also so happy with how every piece came out as I made it all up in my head. I think in the future it would be fun to do a vampire theme with some castles here and there. Maybe some ghosts thrown in for fun.”
Photo credit: Mallory Bates
HALLOWEEN PLANS
So what collections can you expect to see from Halloween Hill Studio this season? You’ll have to follow the Instagram account to find out.
“I’m not a big planner, so I have no idea yet,” says Laura. “But most likely more autumn landscape-inspired collections based off memories or locations I’m drawn to. And maybe another mural or two. I’m really wanting to paint my house in dark, enchanting hues right now.”
What she does know is now that Halloween Hill Studio has gained a following and given her a space to combine two loves, it is sticking around.
“Running Halloween Hill has given me a sense of myself I didn’t know before—mainly that it’s important to do what you love in life, even if it’s hard or tricky or unstable for a season or two. It’s always worth it. And when you do what you love, you’re in that flow with the universe which is good and wonderful things can happen.
“I think a lot of times we feel like we can’t go for our dreams, but it’s important to do it anyways, regardless of if it’s a career or a hobby or just a new thing to try once. We must do it, and we must keep at it. That’s what keeps life exciting and inspiring.”
Where to find Laura online:
Give Laura a follow on Instagram for her latest works, shop updates, and more.
