the soul of art

i would consider myself an artist, in a very abstract sense of the term. i am a writer (despite what you may think from my random diary entries here) and a poet. i am creative. however, i do not pretend to make a living this way. while i would just about do anything to make money for my writing (again, my fiction, you haters)or poetry, i made damn sure to have a back up plan in case i couldn't get by (or figure out a way to even begin) making a living through my passion.

however.

some people are amazing enough to follow their dreams to the point that yes, that is what they do. be it painting or drawing, music, acting or writing, these people inspire and awe me.

andy's cousin is one of these fantastic people.

her name is lori earley, and she is one of the most amazing artists i've ever seen. her work, which is largely portraits of haunting, sexy, beautiful women, has been displayed across the country. as a matter of fact, she has a solo exhibit coming up in april 2007 at the Opera Gallery in the city. she has been interviewed and featured on fuse (which is like a cooler version of mtv) and you can see that interview and listen to lori explain her passions and inspiration right here. it's from a segment about "the dark side of art," and is from an opening at the Strychnin Gallery. lori's pictures make me want to become one of these girls. something about the haunted, alien beauty that they exude...i am itching to include one of the portraits on this blog, but don't want to do so without permission, so i urge you to check out her website, www.loriearley.com, and look at the gallery. you will NOT be sorry that you did.