Hello, I'm Lainey Cady. I was raised in the suburbs outside of Denver, CO, and moved to Los Angeles a month after turning 18. There was a bit of state hopping in between, but I found myself back in LA at 21. Since then, I’ve developed two distinct artistic styles.The first is best described as hand-painted, stylized characters, heavily influenced by LA street art and the countless hours I spent watching Cartoon Network as a kid. The second leans into a kind of psychedelic surrealism, where abstract shapes come together to form intricate systems. That style traces back to when I was around 14 and became completely captivated by mystic rock music, Led Zeppelin, The Moody Blues, Fleetwood Mac, and the dreamy, nature-inspired record cover art from my grandfather’s collection. The light washes and organic forms of '70s and '80s album covers remain a huge inspiration for me.

I’ve often been told (and told myself) that I should pick one style and stick with it, but both have influenced and shaped the other, and I couldn’t imagine giving either up.

As for the classic “when did you start painting?” question, I’ve always found it tricky. My earliest memories are of my hands covered in Crayola finger paint. Over time, that turned into colored pencils, then acrylics, and now a mix of the two, or honestly, all three, since I still use my hands
when I’m really deep in a messy piece.

So grab a cup of tea, a snack, sit outside somewhere sunny, and I hope you enjoy my website!