Meet Lori Andrews, Interior Designer, Photographer, Chef, all around visual artist. She started her interest in the arts at an early age like most artists enveloped in all creative activities. This shows strongly even in her first career interest at age eleven, with her love of sci-fi movies, she wanted to be a special effects make up artist. Unfortunately though, this meant leaving her hometown and moving to Hollywood which didn’t really settle with her. So she chose the next most logical move, and went to University where she got her B.F.A., in Drawing. From there, she has exploded and had a great road to success starting her own interior design firm which spun into a marvelous photography bug.

Chixel: From University, where did you venture first to explore more outlets for art and opportunity? I know the road to success as an artist is never easy and is very competitive. How did you combat that?

Lori: For an artist there is usually a cause an effect pattern. As a creative girl with an Art Degree, I found few opportunities out there which lead me to be innovative and use my resources to become an entrepreneur. I have found Interior Design as both creative, and with the right business knowledge, very enterprising. After graduating from University, I attained the knowledge I needed to set me up for the future. My mother approached me, and together we opened and operated our own home decor shop we called The Heavenly Outhouse. Working with my mother was such a privilege, and I will treasure the closeness it brought us forever. The experience at the Heavenly Outhouse, gave me valuable sales and business skills, in addition to, and most importantly, an interest in Interior Design. So, by the time we sold the shop, I was ready to strike out on my own in the field. I took Design courses from the local college and started working for my friends for nothing to build up my portfolio. I have found, every job poses challenges and new creative solutions. Now, after six plus years of business, I finally have all the contacts and systematic processes I need to make my job run smoother. Notice I said smoother. There are ALWAYS problems and setbacks on every interior job.

Chixel: Do you see see challenges you mentioned in a job exciting, does it spur more ideas you didn’t think of yet? what was your biggest challenge for your work, and has it effected the way you look at other jobs now? are there particular styles you tend to lean toward when you design, and what has been your inspiration for things as you are working in new homes?

Lori: The biggest challenge in my work is finding the right contractors and suppliers. Reliability and professionalism is very important to me. I personally tend towards a cleaner, modern look. However I am inspired by so many sources that I can appreciate and explore many styles. My inspiration in interior design always comes directly from my clients. I design for them, for their lifestyles and for their pleasure.

Chixel: I always find your photography work very creative and beautiful, I can see how the Interior Design could fuel a new passion. And I love your signature positioning in your shots, it’s completely unique to you, esp when you shoot it in your Interior Work. How did that come about?

Lori: As an Interior Designer I needed a portfolio which requires photography skills. Again, a new creative outlet! I thought, Hey! This photography thing is really interesting! The camera is just another extension of my artistic career. I purposefully break the rules (rule of thirds) and play with color and light much the same way I would if I were painting. My headless shots started because I was growing out a bad haircut. I kid you not. I think people respond to them favorably as they can put themselves in the image. The headless images are easier to relate to.

Chixel: Do you have a favorite Interior Design or Photography Series have there been any highlights that stick out for you?

Lori: My favorite project is always the one I am working on!! Since I am always working on my own home I think I will choose that today! http://www.flickr.com/photos/theproletariatdesigner/sets/467948/ I also have a bookstore on Blurb, where I frequently update and create new books with my Interior Designs and Photography Series, http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/880842#author-bookshelf.

One photography highlight, was my participation in an art exhibition and book at Uppercase Gallery. http://www.uppercasegallery.ca/old-school-gallery/ . Like many of my photographs, this one was planed out to the smallest detail far in advance. I find the process of making a photograph has tremendous creative appeal. In order to create this image, I first had to come up with the concept, secure a model and location, (shooting inside a school is never an easy task). I also needed to style the shoot, buy the outfit for the model, and in this case, I needed to go back twice as the first shoot did not give me the results I was hoping for. Shooting film is always a gamble. After all of this, I was rewarded with an image that I really understood. http://www.flickr.com/photos/theproletariatdesigner/3259999491/in/set-72157601007685340/.

Chixel: Sounds like it was a great learning experience, I can see how that would even fall into your Interior Design work. All the elements coming together to create one cohesive piece.

Lori: My direction comes from my Interior Design business but my photography fuels everything. Most of my clients in the last few years have come to me after seeing photos of mine online and asked me to shoot for them. I have also managed to turn my photography into a small business as well. I have exhibited my photography work, worked on private commissions and portraits and even managed to do well in stock photography. I have been published in JPG magazine, The Rambler, and various other publications. I exhibited my work at Uppercase Gallery, had one of my pieces published in a book (by the same) and will soon have another photo published in Uppercase the Magazine. I have magically discovered that Lori has a marvelous food blog as well to add onto her resume, some found, some self created, all photographed beautifully. I have tried a few myself and they are delicious. She told me that she “hopes that she can help even one person who might needlessly suffer the same health issues she has had.” Please check it out and be sure to let her know you enjoyed a recipe!

Since this conversation, Lori has been hiking in the snow covered mountains of Alberta, and exploring Lomography by shooting with a Holga camera and Polaroid Back. So please continue to explore her photos daily as I do, in addition to following her Interior Design work and delicious food blog. I will always continue to be inspired by her style of work every time I click through her photographs. They make me laugh, they make me reflect and they inspire me to move forward in my own work and try new things, as they do for lots of people, just check out her testimonials on her flickr page.

• http://www.loriandrewsinteriors.com/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/theproletariatdesigner/
• http://the10centdiet.blogspot.com
• http://twitter.com/designertweets

This is a new format for me that I am trying out on Chixel. Let me know what you think, and as always…. Snap on friends! ~DeAnn

This entry was posted on Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 6:19 am and is filed under Artists, blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.