By Emily Pendleton
Andrea Larko is an artist hailing from Pennsylvania where she creates vibrant works of art, rich in eye catching geometric patterns. After graduating with a B.F.A. in Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology she went on to work in advertising. She started her Etsy Store (The Art Of Angling) about two years ago and currently she is pursuing art full-time, and getting out onto the river whenever possible. Her work is featured in Simms Artist Series Line for Spring 2015. We had the chance to catch up with her recently to discuss her success.
You’ve been very successful. Did you ever imagine that you would be where you’re at now years ago when you were working in advertising? Oh, definitely not. I actually just quit my job working in advertising in October. So it’s only been a few months now. I never thought that I would be quitting my job… But it just got to the point where I couldn’t keep up and I had to make a decision. I figured I may as well go and see how it all plays out. I started this really about two years ago. It all happened pretty quickly.
How did you get involved with Simms? Did they approach you about it? Actually, someone on Instagram (check out her artwork on instagram @andrealarko) found me and asked if they could pass my work along to Simms. I said ‘why not’. But I didn’t think I would hear anything back from them. Then a few days later, I did and they wanted to get started right away. I couldn’t believe it. It all just happened so fast. I was definitely in a bit of shock for a few days. Because Simms is top of the line, my boots and my waders are all Simms gear. So I was really excited. Especially after seeing what they do for artists, like [Derek] Deyoung. I’ve been following his career since I started fly fishing. I admired going into fly shops and seeing work like that, instead of just a logo on a shirt it was really great artwork. Check out her work with The Simms Women’s Line Here.
Now, Zentangle is the main style you do. I like how you’ve referred to it as doodling. Well I call it doodling, I didn’t know that there actually was a name for it until someone told me and I looked it up on Google. I just thought I was messing around. Apparently it’s a big style now a lot of people are doing it. Even when I just stop in art stores I’ll see little books on the art of Zentangle and they tell people how to do it. It’s more of a meditation; a lot of people do it to relax. I think it’s really relaxing too. I couldn’t be happier to have a job that’s relaxing when you do it, you know.
Aside from commissions do you start with an idea of what you want to create before you start a piece? I definitely do. Most of my commissions for the holidays were postponed until after the holidays so I had some extra time to do a few pieces that I wanted to do. When someone tells me that they want a certain type of fish in particular I’ll start looking online for reference photos. Then I’ll put together a bunch of photos and do the style or the design outline of what they are looking for and what will look best for them. Or if I’m doing it for a tattoo then I’m going to have to take their measurements and see if it’s going to fit where they want it. I also make sure that it goes with the way the muscle goes so it doesn’t look completely ridiculous.
You do a lot of commissions for tattoos? At least half to ¾ of my commissions are for tattoos.
It was interesting to look through your portfolio because there is such variety. When I graduated from college I tried to be an artist for a while without having a full time job and I did gallery shows. I painted murals in kid’s rooms. I just had fun with it and I didn’t have a specific style. But it got to the point where I was sitting alone in the studio a lot and it got a little monotonous after a while, which is why I never tried to quit my day job. This has taken me to so many shows and I’ve met so many different people that I don’t think I’ll get tired of it, so as long as the work keeps coming this is what I plan on doing.
Is there anything that you’re working on now that you are excited about? I’m actually looking to work with a few other fly fishing companies as well. But nothing is set in stone yet so I’d rather surprise you. I’m also doing a shirt design right now for Loop Tackle over in Sweden of an Atlantic salmon. I just started that one last night. I haven’t even taken pictures yet, but it’s turning out pretty cool. I sit down right before I go to bed and start looking at pictures. And I say “I’m just going to sketch out the outline”. And I find myself getting into the zone and then I’m up until 7 o’ clock in the morning again. I look at the clock and the sun’s coming up I should probably go to bed. It’s just that in the middle of the night no one contacts me, and I have time to focus and don’t have any distractions except maybe if the dog needs to go out, it’s easy to put my head down and start working on it and next thing I know hours have passed.
Have you always been a night owl? Always, I tried to change my sleep schedule for my day job and it was rough. So I’d get only two or three hours of sleep and I’d go to work and I’d come home and sleep for three to four hours. There’s something about doing art in the night. There are less distractions, it’s hard for me to do it during the day when I think of all the places that are open that I have to go to, all the errands that I have to run. There’s just too much on my mind during the day to work. At night it’s a lot more relaxing it’s easier for me to work on something from start to finish and get a flow going. I really don’t like stopping in the middle of something once I’ve started on it.
What other artists have influenced your work? I’m very inspired by the Art Nouveau period especially [Alphonse] Mucha. But I don’t see that come across in my work as much. I like a lot of street artists and graffiti artists and things that are a bit more freeform, organic and whimsical. I think some of it comes through, especially the bright colors but that might also be because I’m color blind. I can’t see pastels as well; they are all kind of grey to me. So I tend to use a lot of vibrant colors in my work.
That’s interesting. You’re color blind? To what degree is it? Actually I didn’t even know until college. I guess women can’t be red/green color blind it’s more pastel colors. One time I went shopping and I went to buy a shirt that I thought was grey. I didn’t realize at the time that the majority of the clothes I had that were “grey” were actually periwinkles. If it’s not next to another color when I’m mixing it or it doesn’t have a label on it I can’t tell. I have trouble doing anything in pastel colors especially if someone wants something really light. Then it’s difficult for me. To be continued….
Editors Note: Stay tuned to see what Andrea has to say about fly fishing in part 2 of our Interview.
Check out Andrea Larko’s work with Simms Fishing Proudcts as part of the Simms Artist Series.
