North Shore Artist Spotlight: Alicia Porter!

Alicia Porter, besides being a bag-of-giggles, is also an astoundingly talented artist.  She’s been dedicated to her creative practice since earning her BFA in painting and drawing from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in 1998.  Read on to learn more about her recent projects, her interests outside of art, and to hear some of her valuable advice to other artists: Courtney Mackedanz:  So Alicia, I see you’re shifting gears with your work a bit.  Can you tell me more about your new project? Alicia Porter: Yes, I started a new project recently.  It’s a series of drawings in the style of Alberto Giacometti’s sketches.  I’m sketching from photos of people around the studio, I like to sketch them kind of weird—like abstract in my own way. CM: Cool! What kind of materials are you using? Is that something new as well? AP: I’m using colored pencil on colored paper.  I used to paint a lot with gouache, but I’m trying something new now. CM: Right, I remember that you were using gouache for a long time and also painting a lot of wolves.  What inspires you to make art? Where did the interest in wolves come from? AP: Wolves are one of my favorite things to paint, ever since I was a freshman in college! When I was a girl, I went to a museum and the exhibit I saw was about how dogs are descendent from wolves and that fascinated me!  But now, I think I’m going to try something new. I’m excited, but it’s sometimes difficult. CM: How do you overcome difficulties in your art making? AP: I concentrate on the subject I’ve chosen, the shapes of their eyes, nose…I just try to look for the details.CM: That sounds like a great approach, how long have you been making art? AP: (Laughs!) Gosh, I don’t think I’ve ever stopped since I was a child…I don’t make art everyday, but I think about art everyday. CM: What’s your favorite part of being a professional artist at The Arts of Life? AP: That’s a hard one! Oh—I love the freedom in the community and the freedom I feel as an artist! CM: Is there anything that you do when you’re not making art? AP: (HA!)  I like to create some form of art all the time, for example, I keep a sketch diary. But I also like to read books.  I’m reading In the Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel for a second time.  I’m always sad when I finish the book! CM: You’re going to need to find another one! Since you’re making art all of the time, what do you think is your favorite thing about art making? AP: I feel a lot of freedom to be myself as an artist.  This may sound a little silly but the easiest way to be an artist is to pick up a pencil and just scratch a line…this will prove to yourself that you can draw!

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