Laura Westlake

A native Long Islander, I am essentially a self-taught artist whose love of nature and the outdoors is the inspiration for my work. Living in Santa Barbara in the 1970’s and Manhattan in the 1980’s, I developed an interest in commercial illustration which lasted for 15 years.My career included work for television, magazine and print ads, and book illustration with a professional background in portraiture and decorative design.I turned my focus to creating my own personal style in color pencils and oils to focus on the fine arts and exhibiting in galleries in the late 1980’s.I draw and paint what is in my immediate surroundings, rarely going outside my “box” to find subject matter. I am inspired by everything in my daily living with the help of the four seasons. Passionate about wildlife,particularly birds, I look to incorporate them into my artwork at every opportunity, whether it is a still life or outdoor scene, which literally adds life to the art. I hold Federal and New York State licenses for rehabilitaing migratory birds, and have a complex of aviaries on my property that house many species of injured and orphaned birds. I am rarely without live models! Over the past 30 years, my work has been shown in galleries throughout the United States. I am currently being represented by The Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA and The Principle Gallery in Charleston, SC. Married to artist Dominick DiLorenzo, we reside and work at our home in Orient.