Jessica

Artwork Info

Graphite on bristol board 
7 x 12 in. 
18 x 22 in., framing included 
© 2025 

Lori Earley was born and raised in Westchester county, New York in a very unartistic household.  Despite not being exposed to the arts, Earley's vivid imagination and her creativity somehow continued to flourish from within throughout the years... essentially developing her artistic style in a “vacuum” so to speak around the late 1980’s.  This allowed Earley to develop her own purely unique style, untouched and uninfluenced by anything or anyone else. “I loved the painting technique of the old masters, but was bored with the subject matter”, she explained.  “I wanted to paint things I’d never seen before in a realistic manner and push the boundaries of ‘realism’ so to speak”, she said.

Earley studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where she was taught the painting technique of the old masters from her teacher, artist Steven Assael. She got her BFA and graduated as valedictorian from the School of  Visual Arts in the 90’s. When she emerged on the art scene a few years later, Earley's paintings and drawings were considered so unique that she was quickly acclaimed as an exceptional new talent, praised for her rare, signature authentic portraiture.  Her stylized, elongated subjects echoed Mannerist elements and the dramatic lighting of the Baroque period.  Her eccentric, accentuated realism drew attention from galleries, established artists and collectors, which immediately propelled Earley to the forefront of a burgeoning art movement.  Her recognition as a leading female contemporary master painter grew internationally and moved Earley into the celebrated realm of solo exhibitions in New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles and London. “In an art movement that has managed to juggernaut to such a size and scope that it encompasses a virtual golden age of artistic talent, it takes a lot for a particular artist to stand out as a shining star of an art scene, yet that is what painter Lori Earley has managed to do in a relatively short time.” -  Hi*Fructose Collected 2 book wrote.

At the height of her success however, Earley was diagnosed with a very rare, genetic connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.  Earley was then forced to take an unwanted hiatus from her art and spent the next several years having many corrective surgeries.  Years later, Earley began a specialized, personal physical therapy program at the Mayo Clinic and with the help of a special team of doctors, she finally was able to begin her return to the art world around 2026. Little did she know in that time that her eccentric, distinct painting style was going to inspire a whole new generation of artists.  To this day, Earley’s art is used to train new, upcoming artists in classrooms around the world.        

With her never-ending fighting spirit, Earley's one-of-a-kind visions, optimism, tenacity, strength and determination continue to be an inspiration for others with challenging syndromes and aspiring artists everywhere.