Digger:
Can you please tell us your background and the background to
Rock Artist Studios?
Lorna:
My personal background is mainly in art and design. I trained
in Scenic Art, as well as costume design and making for the
theatre, and have worked in various art and design fields -
from these disciplines in the entertainment industry, to
teaching, to graphic design, to textile design, photography
and painting.
I
have always been a music lover, and have always been fascinated
with the world of rock and roll, counter-culture, psychedelia
and art.
I
founded the business Rock Artist Studios in 2007, which was
basically born out of my love of music and art, plus my
various business pursuits at the time. In the beginning, I was
dealing in rare and collectable vintage rock posters from the
60's and 70's, and other art and memorabilia. This then lead
me into biker and retro style vinyl art.
From
then on, I have sourced artists worldwide, and sold their work
in the form of vinyl graphics, and collectable posters and
prints.
Digger:
You have a big range of merchandise. What are your best
sellers?
Lorna:
At the moment some of my bestsellers are from the 'Nose Art'
series by Lethal Threat. These include some great war-time
sweetheart pin-up graphics. And like these, the other retro
style pin-ups on our site have always done really well too.
The David Vicente products are consistently popular, which
include retro style work shirts for both men and women, and
limited edition posters, as well as the stickers.
Digger:
What sort of feedback are you getting from clients?
Lorna:
The feedback I receive from my customers is almost always
positive. I really try to make sure they are pleased with the
service as well as the products. I hear a lot of praise for
the fantastic art featured on the site, and this is important
to me, as an artist myself, I would never sell artwork that I
didn't rate personally as something special.
Digger:
What are your rock passions and what are the best things about
what you do?
Lorna:
It's
not just the music that makes rock so attractive to me, but
it's theatrical nature on the whole. The fantasy, the poetry,
the clothing, the album art, the posters - I find it a never-ending
source of creativity and inspiration. The punk rock DIY ethic
is something that I strongly believe in too.
I
love sourcing my product lines, because this allows me to keep
in touch with artists and their work. I have a genuine
interest in their work; the bands they may have designed
posters for, their inspiration, technique, and I am always
excited to see new designs.
Digger:
Why do you think retro and rock-related cultures are such a
big thing in people's lives?
Lorna:
Some might
say it takes them back to their youth, but I think it is more
than that. I was born alongside the explosion of punk (ie-
far too late for hippie rock) yet I have always felt a pull to
the 60's and 70's rock culture. I think it's the air of
freedom and creativity - it manages to stir something quite
deep.
Digger:
Are there any items, lines or ranges that you don't currently
stock that you plan to?
Lorna:
Yes, lots! I aim to stock a lot more collectable art, both in
the form of originals and limited edition and/or rare posters
and prints. As well as the art, I would also like to venture
into art/artist books of a similar theme.
Digger:
What are your future plans for the Rock Artist Studios
business?
Lorna:
At the moment we are known mainly as a vinyl art business, but
I would love to expand on the regular art side. I also plan on
signing some artists/art and books exclusively to Rock Artist
Studios, publishing them ourselves.
