I discovered through interviewing Alex that we went to uni together! What a small place Brisbane can be! After studying Creative Industries at QUT, Alex started working for a gaming company as a graphic designer. The work is kept fresh by a new project every 6-8 weeks, so that keeps her looking forward to the next project ahead. See more of Alex’s work and read about her paintings in progress on her blog.

How have you got to where you are today?

I originally studied journalism and creative writing, but by the time final year rolled around, I found myself hunting through the job ads that involved art instead of writing. There was only one job advertised that involved having to draw on a daily basis, rather than designing, and I went for it, even though the only thing I’d ever used Photoshop for was so make a flashing web button in some random elective class at uni (and it was a really bad button at that!)

When I got the job I didn’t even know what the grey thing was that was sitting in front of the computer on my desk until I saw how the other artists were using it! Of course, it was a Wacom tablet, and now having worked at the same place for about 6 years now, I can’t imagine working without one. I’m lucky enough to work from home four days a week so I get some more time art-making rather than sitting in traffic.

It was at this workplace that I met another artist, Gimiks Born, who encouraged me to put a couple of pieces in an emerging artist show at Jugglers Art Space. I’d never had the confidence to even consider approaching any galleries, so when these two small pieces turned into an offer for a solo show – I was ridiculously surprised!

It made me finally take my artwork seriously, rather than believing it would always have to be a hobby. Now my time outside of work is consumed with painting and drawing, and I couldn’t be without it.

So I’m trying to get involved in more and more shows to get my artwork out in the world. It’s no point hoarding it all in a tiny room and leaving it to get dusty!

In a few words, describe yourself…

Completely obsessed with wrens and pocketwatches.

What are you spending your time on at the moment?

I’m working on some pieces for a 4-person show in Melbourne in a couple of months. At the moment I’m playing around with charcoal and pastels for one of the pieces, and I’m still trying to get my head around painting since I’d always only really drawn previously. I’m also chipping away at a series for a solo show which explores my pocketwatch fascination. I’ve been playing around creating textured backgrounds on wood panels, which I then paint my imagery over, so it either floats over the top, or interacts with the textured patterns. It’s frustrating and challenging, but it is absolutely my new favourite thing.

Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?

I’ve got a separate room in the house for my art-making, so I find I just click into art mode once I step through the door.

This is probably also because I’m surrounded by a massive mess of art supplies. If I’m having any trouble getting started, I usually just grab a blank panel and whatever supplies I have on hand and mess around creating some sort of background. This is when the best kind of happy accidents happen, which then turn into future artworks, like my new textured panels. In terms of a ritual, I always listen to music or audiobooks when I create, keep a cup of tea on hand, and have my studio buddy Shadow, the German Shepherd, at my feet.

In the warmer months, my other studio buddy, a big green tree frog, is usually watching on from the windowsill too. Actually, I’ve gotten so used to him being there that it feels strange if I’m at my easel and glance at the windowsill to find he’s not there, but he’s hunkered down somewhere away from the cold at the moment!

What or who inspires you?

I’m a bit of an art blog nut. I usually browse through a few over breakfast to get my mind working. I just wish I could see more artwork from my favourite artists in person rather than just on a computer screen. I’m lucky enough to see a lot of Gimiks‘ work in person, and by the time I’ve finished staring at it, I find that I absolutely have to get home and create something.

I mentioned that I’m quite obsessed with wrens too. It’s a silly thing, but we’re lucky to have a couple of large families of blue fairywrens living in our garden, and they bounce along my windowsill all day and always inspire me to sketch away. I’ve already drawn them plenty of times, and there’ll be many more wren artworks to come! They’re just such characters, it’s impossible not to be inspired by them.

I’ve also started collecting random objects to draw or paint. Antique clock parts, vintage alarm clocks and pocketwatches, feathers, bird skulls, and other bits and pieces from nature… I’m creating a lucky dip of sorts, so I’ve always got something inspiring to draw from for an artwork. I’m challenging myself to draw each and every item in my collection.

What are you most proud of?

That I haven’t just let my artwork be a hobby. I never thought any of my artwork would ever be on display in any gallery, and now it’s something that I’m constantly working towards, even if I do get ridiculously nervous every time I’m showing my artwork to someone new.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Considering one of my earliest memories is of stealing strawberries from my mum’s garden, to use them as crayons on the concrete, I think it’s always been an artist. I remember being fascinated with the scrolls painted on the sides of trucks that we drove past, or painting scenes down metres and metres of butcher’s paper that my mum pinned down our fenceline, or being the kid that was still up drawing or modelling little animals out of plasticine when all the other kids had gotten bored and fallen asleep. Even when I went to university to study writing, at the end it still came back to art.