Ultra-realistic fantasy art
Find out what music is playing in the background of this artist’s cosy studio…
Dave Leri tells us that a balanced lifestyle, fresh air and rock music have helped him get to where he is today. 114
I’ve worked another job for the past 20 years that has gotten me out in the fresh air Dave has been working as an illustrator for over 20 years. He lives in Columbus, OH with his wife Lora and their cats Mia and Zoey. You can see more of his paintings at www.daveleri.com.
Where did you grow up and how has this influenced your art?
I grew up in the small town of Harborcreek, PA, which is right on the shores of Lake Erie. While it’s pleasant in the summer and has some beautiful sunsets, the winters can be pretty rough. They broke their snowfall record this last winter with 198 inches of snow. I’m not sure if that’s influenced my artwork in terms of style, but it definitely was a reason for staying inside and having to keep myself occupied for extended periods of time. Much of that time was spent drawing and trying to learn to paint.
Can you describe the place where you usually create your art?
It’s just a basement. I’m a little embarrassed when I compare it to some of the beautiful studios of my fellow artists that I’ve seen. At least it’s cosy and seems to get the job done. I create my paintings on a large, old-timey drafting table. The room is full of props, costumes, weapons and a lot of little maquette sculptures of the creatures that appear in my paintings.
Do you have an art tool or ritual that you simply can’t live without?
Well, I drink an awful lot of coffee!
Is making a living as an artist all you thought it would be?
Definitely not. I always enjoyed picking away at my art projects in my free time when I young. I had assumed that when I was able to do that all day, every day, it would be a whole lot of awesome.
I did the freelance thing full-time right out of school for a couple of years and found that the solitude, the sedentary nature of the job, and my inability to be disciplined in my sleep schedule was unhealthy – both physically and mentally. Much respect for the people I know that do this kind of work for years. You have to love doing art all the time.
I’ve worked another job in the mornings for the past 20 years that has gotten me out in the fresh air, around other people and given me a lot of exercise. It’s helped to bring balance to my life.
What, outside of art, has most influenced your artwork?
The music I listened to growing up, whether it was hard rock, classic rock or metal, has seeped its way into my work over the years. Some of my paintings have ended up with titles that are derived from either lyrics or the titles of songs that I like.
Has your painting style evolved?
It hasn’t changed much, at least in terms of what I’m trying to accomplish. I’ve gravitated towards artists and artwork that manage to make imaginary scenes, creatures and so on believable. In the early 90s I attended a convention where an artist named Fred Fields was exhibiting some of his hyper-realistic paintings. He was apparently influenced by James Bama. That had a big impact on me, and I would be thrilled if I could ever paint half as well as either of them.
What does the future hold for you?
I’m fairly content working on private commissions right now. I’ve had the opportunity to work on some fun paintings for really nice people. There are some large-scale personal works that I’ve wanted to start for a while now, but I need to work through the backlog of projects that I still have promised to people before I can even think about that.