Lori Earley

Tell me a little bit about your background- where are you from originally?

I grew up in Rye, New York, and lived there until I was 19. It was a small town
with nothing really to do there, but I did live right down the
street from an
amusement park and that kept me occupied sometimes. My background was pretty
normal surprisingly! My father was a police lieutenant and my mother was an
administrative assistant.

Where did you go to college?

The School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

How do you think your painting and drawing style developed?

I had been distorting things for as long as I could remember- it came very
naturally to me. At the time I really began defining my style though, I was
suffering from a lot of health problems. I think that the distortion was a
reflection of how I felt inside translated into visual terms.

What materials do you use to produce your work?

I work in oils and paint on either wood panel or this great, ultra-smooth
imported Italian linen.

Do you sell prints of your work?

Yes, I sell beautiful limited edition prints of my paintings. They
are available
for purchase through my website: loriearley.com.

While doing research I discovered that you began to exhibit your oil paintings in 2004. How did you get started doing exhibitions?

I had entered and exhibited in a few juried competitions first. Shortly
afterwards, the Fuse Gallery put my painting of “The Abolition” in my very
first group show (The Juxtapoz Winter Group Show). The small image of “The
Abolition” that they used for the promo for that show then caught the eye of
Kirsten Anderson, owner of Seattle’s Roq La Rue Gallery, who
immediately gave
me my first solo show.

I also sent my work to Juxtapoz magazine. The editor
there was so blown away that he did a full article on me, put my work on the
cover, and my career took off after that! I’m very grateful to Juxtapoz for
giving me that opportunity to have my artwork seen all over the
world. I’m also
very grateful to Kirsten and the Fuse Gallery!

Where does most of the inspiration for your paintings come from?

I can be influenced by many different things- a person, a great
movie, a song, a
life experience, etc. For the most part though my inspiration comes from the
inside out as opposed to the outside in, and I’m just painting out of pure
emotion.

What are some ways you get inspiration?

This is a tough one- I struggle with this one too- I honestly don’t
know. A lot
of times my paintings are done out of expressing emotion and not
from and source
of inspiration at all.

It might sound funny, but sometimes when I
desperately
need inspiration I turn to the Cure’s song lyrics book I have. Each song is
like a bizarre surreal story that helps me get inside that strange
place in my
head and tap into my own little world. It has been a major source of
inspiration for me and I think Robert Smith is in a lot of ways a creative
genius.

Who are you influenced by as an artist?

JW Waterhouse
, John Singer Sargent
, William Bouguereau
, Steven
Assael (for their
painting techniques), and Ray
Caesar, Floria Sigismondi,
and Chris Cunningham
(for their subject matter) to name a few. I’m also influenced a lot
by fashion
designers like
Jean Paul Gaultier,
Jennifer Nicholson and
Alexander
MqQueen for
their unique visions. Jennifer is a collector of mine and since I love her
dresses so much, she lets me borrow them for my photo shoots, so many of the
women in my paintings are wearing her great couture!

Approximately how many preliminary sketches, color comps, etc. do
you do before
starting the final painting?

A lot! It’s a VERY long process. First the idea, then the many sketches to
figure out the best composition, then the photo shoot, and more
drawings after
that to work on getting the right look and mood for the painting. I then
transfer my drawing onto my board and do about 5 to 6 under-paintings!

How long do your paintings take?

It depends on the size and detail. For the most part, a little over a
month each.

What do your paintings mean?

I don’t like to talk about what my paintings mean because they’re
very personal
to me. Maybe one day I will, I’m not sure though. I like to leave it
up to the
viewers’ interpretation- I think it’s better that way anyway. I do
use a lot of
symbolism in each painting though. Sometimes, if it’s a conceptual
painting, the
title is a good indication as to what it is about.

Are you ever going to put out a book?

Yes- I’m just starting to look into it. If you sign the emailing list on my
website, I will keep everyone updated as to when it will be finished. I’m
guessing at the earliest sometime next year, 2008.

What are some of your favorite things?

Painting, photography, drawing, music, dancing, having a great time,
people who
are down to earth, Halloween, carousels, dusk, red skies, violent
thunderstorms, tornadoes, jet black hair, animals, my 3 black cats, vintage
toys, comedies, anything eerie, leopard, cheetah and zebra prints, Jean Paul
Gaultier, Alexander McQueen, Jennifer Nicholson, red velvet, my red
velvet cake
shower gel, butter cream frosting moisturizer, vanilla perfume,
karaoke, vintage
photographs, faux food, brick oven pizza (Lombardi’s in NYC!), eyeliner,
laughing, anything strange and unusual.

What colors do you use for your skin tones?

I don’t use the same colors- it varies depending on the painting and is
different every time.

When is your next solo show? How often do you show?

At the Jonathan
Levine Gallery in New York, February 2008. I only
show once a
year since my paintings take me so long to do. I hope to show in London soon
because I’ve never been out of the country and would absolutely love to see
England.

How do you find your models and who are the women in your paintings?

A lot of them are my friends. Others are women I’ve seen either
online or on the
street that I ask to pose for me if I think they will make for a
great subject
for my painting style.

What is your favorite painting you’ve done?

“The Wish”. Not only is it a very personal piece, but it took me forever to
paint- there must have been over 3,000 dandelions!! I started going
a bit crazy
to say the least by the time I finally finished it! (lol!) I’m very
attached to
that particular one and wish (no pun intended!) I didn’t sell it.
People also
respond to that painting the most, I guess because it’s so personal.

Lori Earley – The Wish

Which paintings/drawings are available for sale?

All of my original work is sold. I do have a waiting list though for
people who
want to purchase original work. Just email me at lori@loriearley.com
and ask to
be added to the list, and we will inform you as to when new works become
available for sale.

Do you do commissions?

No, because I think a painting comes out better if it comes from the
heart (and
what the artist choses to paint) rather than being told what to
paint. It also
is more like illustration to me rather than fine art if you are painting
something for someone else. I do have a waiting list for people waiting for
originals though.

Can I get a tattoo of one of your paintings?

Yes- of course… as long as you send me a photo of it when it’s done

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

My advice for aspiring artists would be that talent is only part of what you
need to be a successful artist. You must have a lot of dedication and self-
discipline. It is a very competitive and difficult career and at
times can be
very lonely.

But every job has it’s downsides, and the upsides to being an
artist is better than any other job I can think of. It’s a sense of
fulfillment- that you are achieving something and making a mark in
this word. Most of all though, it’s making a living by doing what
you love everyday- and
nothing compares to that!

For More: LoriEarley.com