An Updated About Me & Some Thoughts on Instagram
I wanted to share a little about myself and what I do to those that may be new!
I am a self taught watercolor artist and illustrator submerged in a quaint southern town in Georgia called Thomasville. We’ve lived here for only a couple of years, but we’ve fallen completely in love.
My husband’s name is Nathan and we have been married for 5 years now. He is the kindest person you will ever meet and has always been one of my biggest support systems.
Being an artist is no doubt a calling I’ve finally answered, but not the highest. I have a 1.5 year old daughter and her name is Reese. She is one of the greatest gifts of my life and is such a joy. Motherhood is hard but its the highest calling and I’ve been head over heels since!
I first fell in love with paint when I accepted Jesus as my savior when I was 16. I started painting bible verses on canvases to hang in my room and I loved pushing paint around and creating colors.
In 2018, I discovered watercolor for the first time and realized it was my medium. I have —inconsistently— practiced with watercolor in these last 4 years, but it wasn’t until December of 2021 that I decided to pursue a career with it.
I applied for the juried show, The 101st Rose Fest Market of the Rose Show this past April, and I was accepted to present my very first collections of original works. I had the greatest time and learned so much to prepare for future participations in shows.
I have also been given the privilege to work with a hand full of clients for private commission projects in this last year.
Because of YOU! I’ve since been able to create my own website where I can display a professional portfolio, write blog posts, and create an e-commerce platform solely dependent upon myself. So, I really appreciate those of you that send me kind words of encouragement, like and engage with my posts, and share my content so that I can continue to grow! This is equal to purchasing my art and I thank you so much!
I grew up in art and creativity. My dad’s mom was a fine art painter and 3 of my prized possessions include an original 36x40 floral painting of hers that is hanging in my dining room, her easel that still has her paint strokes on it, and also her porcelain paint dish that has her paint on it as well. My own mother is a natural fiber fine artist and has been making baskets and sculptures out of pine needles since I was a child!
As an artist, I really struggle with Instagram. It’s a great platform because of how i can seamlessly showcase my artist life and process, but it can be really demanding. I think if I were to follow the demands of the algorithm, I’d never have the time to raise my daughter or paint and that’s not going to fly! I first and foremost love to serve my family and I love participating in shows where I can put myself out into my community. If I do post a reel, please know that it was more than likely coming from a day where I was able to batch film, during my child’s nap time, or while she’s playing with her friends in part time time pre-school. And I don’t have time to get in front of the camera and point to the air!
One of my goals is to come to a place in my art journey where I feel I can teach! I do not know how I would deliver this, but I just know I would love to be able to show someone what they can be capable of with art! It’s always something that can be learned. I definitely did not naturally just “have it” and I still have so much to improve on. Otherwise, it probably wouldn’t have taken me 4 years to get to this point!
I think that is all for now, but I just wanted to share a few things and some thoughts so you feel like you can get to know me if you don’t already!
I will be participating in the Elevate Artisan Market this Saturday, the 29th in Cairo, Georgia so don’t forget to stop by if you’re in the area! There will be lots of food and over 160 vendors for you to bring your family to have a fun Saturday! Have a great weekend.
-Alana
