We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexis Marie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexis below.

Alexis, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Art has been my safe haven for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was 7 years old or younger, art has always been the bridge between emotions I knew I wanted to express but didn’t have the words for, and the unexplainable joy in how art brings us all together. My earliest memory of being an artist was a bonding moment I shared with my painter grandfather. I always heard stories from others about the amazing artist he was and how everyone wanted to cherish his work in their homes, but I never got the chance to experience it myself until this one hot afternoon.

I was practicing my very first realistic graphite drawings of celebrities of course, and with hopeful eyes, I shared one of my drawings with my grandfather for the very first time. He was so proud, encouraging me to keep going, and even gave me tips on shading. He sketched on my artwork a bit to guide me with proportions and I got to see him work. I didn’t want to be a serious artist at this time, but in a home filled with emotional noise, that memory stayed with me every time I touched my graphite pencils.

Years later, I carried this precious memory close to my heart. And when my grandfather passed, art became a thread of beauty that I knew I wanted to capture and share. On a separate healing journey, I cherished these memories and realized that art is so much deeper than brushstrokes. I found beauty in the messy layers and soon realized, life wasn’t any different. That’s when my love for creating and sharing grew deeply and I knew I wanted to pursue art seriously. I learned how intertwined our journeys and art really are. Every layer or first step, can be just as messy and uncertain as an underpainting. You experience moments of falling in love with certain areas and wanting to cover up others. Allowing depth to enhance the painting instead of erasing or being ashamed of what completes it. Now I find beauty in the softness of life and art, and with every brushstroke, my goal is to encourage others that it’s okay to feel safe in yourself.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi, my name is Alexis Marie! I’m a portrait artist born and raised in California, who loves blending intuitive, natural elements with artwork. My art embodies femininity with surrealism, with the hopes of creating safe spaces that invite healing of all kinds, inner harmony, and finding strength in softness.

I enjoy creating mixed media oil paintings, commissions, and prints that are not only pleasing to the eye but are inspired by connection.

During a deep healing journey, I was confronted with many emotional, yet beautiful dualities. I also felt stuck with feelings I didn’t always feel safe expressing in unsafe environments. Feelings of wanting to feel soft yet strong enough, being resilient but safe in vulnerability, safe in momentum and stillness, and more. The joyful moments I shared with my grandfather opened up art as an outlet, and with his inspiration, that seed was planted. Over time, I noticed how deeply painting mirrors our healing. Every tiny brushstroke adds to the fullness of a beautiful painting, whether its depth or emotion. That’s how healing feels to me, every memory and experience adds to us.

One of my favorite things about being an expressive portrait artist is the incredible people I’ve met through it with their own stories. Like a mom who saw her quiet strength reflected in one of my pieces for the first time, or a special woman finding the beauty in themselves again after grief who found peace in vibrant colors. Those moments stay with me. With every brushstroke, I always paint intuitively, aiming to capture an emotion felt at the moment. But the beautiful thing about art is that every viewer has their own story or interpretation worth telling that can be felt in each painting. A painting that feels like a soft exhale to me may feel like a triumph of letting go to someone else. That is the most beautiful part of it all.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

As an expressive painter, some of my meaningful work has come from moments when I allowed my intuition and current inspirations to guide me. Not thinking of an extravagant idea, but instead listening to what I crave to feel in the moment. This sometimes manifests itself into soft white flowers when I’m on a journey of rebirth, or sometimes golden glimmers that kiss the ocean waves when I’m craving harmony.

When starting a piece, I allow myself to get really messy and playful, yet childlike. Many gorgeous paintings have come from climbing the mountain of grief, holding vulnerability with care, cherishing connection, and more. That emotional truth leaves every brushstroke feeling bolder, lighter, or even blurry.

But here’s a truth that can get overlooked or hidden in the beauty, there’s an unspoken emotional labor that goes into creating from truth. I love creating from overflow, but sometimes getting there looks like honoring my nervous system, taking necessary pauses, and allowing true healing without performance. The kind that asks you to reflect, rest rather than burn out, and maintain self-preservation in the middle of momentum. Avoiding self-abandonment in honor of progress. That kind of workflow creates captivating art because each brushstroke is inspired by lived experiences rather than strategy.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Two of the most profound lessons I’ve had the pleasure of unlearning are that rest doesn’t mean you’re behind, and that vulnerability without boundaries is unsustainable.

When growing my social media presence, it was an amazing experience of connecting with others all over the world. Along the journey, I fell in love with vulnerable expression, story sharing, and the process of meeting new, incredible people passionate about art. But over time, I found myself creating endlessly to the point of burnout. What started as joyful creation quickly turned into creating through exhaustion, deep grief, and overly sharing despite feeling depleted. And while I was able to deeply connect with others, it led to a blockage of ideas that once felt abundant, fear of showing up, and a fractured relationship with painting. It wasn’t until then that I learned rest and self-preservation are nonnegotiable. Productivity without rest is destruction and pouring from an empty cup is destabilizing.

I now honor resting and having a better routine that supports sustainable growth. My art flows more beautifully and I do too!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alexismarieart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art.leximarie
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexis.marie.42932?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

Image Credits

All photos by Alexis Marie