Today we’d like to introduce you to Larry Moore.
Hi larry, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It’s been a long and diverse creative journey for sure. I’ve been an artist for nearly 55 years, starting at the age of 15, when I began airbrushing t-shirts and surfboards. From there, a career in the communication arts, as a graphic designer and an art director for two advertising agencies, evolved into a life as a freelance designer/illustrator, giving me the tools to problem-solve, think for myself, and create compelling artwork. And for the last 20-plus years, I’ve spent my time in the studio painting whatever I like.
About 10 years ago, I realized that my time in the communication arts had provided a deep understanding of creative problem-solving that few artists teach or even know about. So I took it upon myself to write and publish a creativity workbook for artists called Fishing for Elephants: Insights and Exercises to Inspire Creative Authenticity. It has been very well received and has resulted in my teaching a workshop a month all over the country since its publication.
It’s been a great ride.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I actually think it’s been a relatively smooth road overall. Maybe I’ve been lucky, but as they say, the harder you work, the luckier you get. I gave everything, every job and every painting, 100 percent. I’ve worked nearly every day of my life, except for the rare vacation, because I love making things and solving problems.
I’ve never experienced creative block or any kind of existential creative meltdown because I have a system that works, and I always do my best; however, I also understand that I can always improve. It keeps me grounded to know that I will always fall short of the ideal. Maybe there is no ideal. About the only time I feel less than is when I don’t push myself hard enough.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Currently, I am known for two series of paintings. About 10 years ago, I was seeking a more personal narrative in my work, as storytelling was my favorite aspect of the illustration work I did. I began a body of work that started with a question: What would happen if humans were to disappear? Answer? Animals would take their territories back. This was the beginning of a series called Intrusion. As in, who is intruding on whom? In short, I place unusual animals in man-made spaces where they would never be found. Like an elephant in an old cotton mill.
This morphed into a concept adjacent series with animals in abstract spaces, another contradiction in terms, which satisfied my inner graphic designer.
I’m most proud that I’ve been teaching and helping people to be better artists and creative thinkers for 35 years.
What sets me apart? I’d hope the work speaks for itself, but maybe it’s that I don’t have just one lane and my work is always evolving.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I like making people laugh. Giving that joy to someone, especially if they’re having a tough time, gives me joy. There’s a video of a woman with a cow for a pet that thinks it’s a dog and sleeps with its head in her lap, that makes me really happy. Also, animal rescue videos. I’m delighted to see people doing good things for animals in need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.larrymoorestudios.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larry_moore_studios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larry.moore.429939
