Lansing is home to many things, and for these creatives, it’s the place that inspires them to make art. Here are a few Lansing-based artists whose work you have probably seen around town. From concert posters to portraits to larger-than-life murals, get to know a few of your community’s busiest creatives.
How do you start a new illustration?
Craig Horky: The majority of my work starts with a brush pen on paper. It usually gets scanned into the computer, where I use a combination of photoshop and illustrator to add texture and do color separation. Most of my freelance work ends up being screen printed on clothing or in poster form. I enjoy working in the screen-print world because the limitations encourage creative solutions.
Are there recurring themes and styles in your work?
Bold linework, minimal colors, lots of pretty girls and mutant cats.
How long have you been a professional artist?
I’ve always been drawing and creating for as long as I can remember, but I started making money for it in the early 2000s. What’s that Picasso quote? “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” I’ve often been accused of never growing up. I have owned multiple bounce houses and ball pits in my adult life, so I guess I can’t argue that fact.
While you may not have fully grown up, has your style evolved?
I’d like to think I’ve improved. I’ve definitely developed more of a recognizable style. I’m a firm believer that talent is a myth and that all art is the result of learned skills. The more time you put into it, the more you will improve.
Do you also have a day job?
Doing graphic design for a bank. On nights and weekends, I freelance illustrations for bands, record labels, magazines, beer labels and other stuff. I have a very cluttered “art room” in the back of my house, but I also do a ton of drawing just sitting on my living room floor. I have roughly half a dozen freelance jobs or commissions going just about all the time.
Who are your biggest artistic influences?
My biggest influences are Charles Burns, Alphonse Mucha, Raymond Pettibon and John James Audubon. The “flatstock” screen printed poster world is overflowing with contemporary artists that I am happy to count as both influences and friends.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Nature, animals, my friends, fashion, ephemera, music, junk stores and the absurdity of the everyday.
Does your work have a mission behind it?
Every day I become less and less sure that anything has a purpose, and I definitely don’t have a mission. I feel like a mission requires some forethought or planning, and if you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you that I am incapable of planning ahead. I just want to make things.
Any recent exhibits?
The last gallery show I was in was a few years back. I did a show with Jason Smith in Hamtramck. Since then, I’ve had some pieces in group shows, but that was the last big one. But I almost always have some posters promoting shows hanging up at places like The Avenue here in Lansing, and there is usually some of my stuff hanging up at the Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids.
As a musician, you’re heavily involved in the music scene. Do you feel as connected to the Lansing art community?
I’m not as aware of what is happening in the Lansing art scene as I’d like to be. The nature of my work tends to make me feel more like a part of the music scene instead. I know there are some people around here doing rad shit. Some names that spring to mind in the Lansing area are Sean Peters, Dane Vermeulen, Harley Zeke and Austin Pardun. Batwing Designs does some rad stuff. I definitely forgot people, but I’ve had many concussions, and my memory sucks, so that was bound to happen.
Blissfield native, 42,
Lansing resident
Instagram: @craighorky
How would you describe your art?
KyLee Carter: Dreamy, storytelling, raw, bold and modern.
What styles of photography do you prefer to shoot?
I work mostly in portrait, editorial and lifestyle photography. I love to capture close-up beauty shots and high-fashion editorial shoots you would see in magazines. I started my journey in the art of photography officially in April of 2021. During the start of the pandemic and social issues affecting our country and the city of Lansing, I needed an outlet to find beauty in what seemed like complete chaos and started creating and shooting with my friends — and boom. Lost Girl Vision was created.
Do other artists inspire you?
One of my biggest influences is Sasha Samsonova, an extremely creative Ukrainian photographer and director in Los Angeles. Her sultry, elegant aesthetic captures the essence of moodiness and timeless beauty. I have followed her work for quite some time, and she is a gorgeous artist with a beautiful eye for storytelling. My work is forever inspired by Samsonova, in which I want every photo to create a beautiful and enticing narrative.
Cinematography is also a big outside source of inspiration for me. I will draw inspiration from a television series, movie, or music video. One of my recent photoshoots was inspired by the Hype Williams film “Belly” and the movie “Friday.”
Is there a mission behind your work?
To create and tell stories through the narrative of photographs. I want to tell the raw and capturing stories of the underrepresented, such as black women, BIPOC and the LGBTQ+ communities. Everyone has a story inside them waiting to be told.
Has your style changed over time?
I have recently started shooting a bit differently and am using a trick with my camera lens to create a dreamy, hazy element in my photos, and I’m living for it. I feel it’s making the stories I intend to tell pop.
Any near-future plans?
Next up for me would be moving forward in my career in photography and submitting my work to be published in magazines, pitching to brands to create editorial content. I would also love to get my photography in some sort of exhibit or gallery.
What’s your impression of the Greater Lansing art scene?
The art scene is evolving and making a name for itself in Lansing. There are so many talented artists here that are emerging and making a name for themselves, and I’m forever in awe of the art that comes out of our city. My role within the local art community is to continue to tell the stories of the underrepresented and, hopefully soon, on a larger scale.
Leslie native, 30,
Lansing resident
Instagram: @lostgirlvision
What paints do you prefer to use?
Mila Lynn: I mainly work with acrylic paint and latex at the moment. I have started doing primarily mural work on indoor walls, so these are the materials I use. I am learning more about working with spray paint and incorporating it where I can. However, I usually go through phases of different mediums to avoid becoming jaded about my craft.
How would you describe your work?
A lot of my artwork is very different, but I would say colorful with a dash of satirical, comedic and playful elements. I always say my mission as an artist is to do one of the three: inspire, uplift or educate those around me.
You’re a full-time artist now, but how’d you get started?
Professionally, I hosted my first solo show in Tampa in 2019. I started focusing on art as a potential career path fall and winter of 2018. My first art-related job was as a caricature artist at Busch Gardens.
Do other visual artists inspire you? If not, what does?
Life. I use my art as a means to process what happens around me. I wouldn’t say I’m inspired by visual artists’ work. I admire many artists, but I don’t look at artwork and then feel inspired to create. However, I am heavily influenced by musicians and singers. I enjoy listening to artists like Noname, Amy Winehouse, Tupac and FKJ when I’m in the studio.
Are there particular hours you prefer to create?
I create whenever I’m inspired or when duty calls. As a working artist, sometimes you have to force yourself to create according to the schedule of others. However, more times than not, I’m up late.
Looking back, has your work changed over the years?
I think I’ve become more confident as an artist overall. My intentional use of color has developed more over the last few years.
What’s your most recent exhibit work?
Every year, I have a show during the month of October for the Inktober project. I try to limit my exhibitions so they can impact my community. My most recent project completed was a mural in Grand Rapids on a two-story building. I want to do a few more murals before the end of the year and have a display of my work in another city. My biggest upcoming project will be the Ink22 Show this October.
What’s it like being a working artist in Lansing?
The local art community is very small and underpaid. This is my primary reason for working out of town and with private clients. Lansing is slowly learning to properly embrace its art community. That being said, there are a ton of really talented creatives here. I just hope they don’t all eventually move away. I’m just your everyday creative, taking the world with my paintbrush and spicy personality.
Lansing Resident, 27
Instagram: @mindofmila
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