We recently connected with Angela Alexander and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

My creative journey has been a risk from the beginning. I moved to Asheville, NC in 1997 from Charlotte, NC. I had a background in newspaper/advertising and got a job doing basic graphic design for a small company in Asheville, It was a good paying job which was hard to find in Asheville unless you were in medicine. I worked for this small company for five years and then they went out of business. What was I going to do??? I didn’t want to move back to Charlotte where the job market was plentiful. As a hobby, I had been making stained glass pieces and selling them at a local venue. I threw myself into making more and more glass and exploring more creative designs vs. traditional mountain scenes. During that time I fell and broke my tailbone, I couldn’t do my glass art. I took the risk of trying to paint. I had two Chihuahuas, Casey and Sadie, so I started painting vibrant caricatures of them. Eventually, I had the courage to show my first paintings at the local venue where my glass art was displayed. I couldn’t believe it when they started to sell. I begin painting other dogs and cats and soon thereafter sold my first painting of a Dachshund titled “I Believe I Can Fly”. I was amazed that someone would pay $350 for something I painted. People started to ask me to paint their pets…..one thing led to another. For ten years I painted vibrant dogs and cats wearing sunglasses, in cars, on the beach, etc. My work was well received and started to become an icon of the Asheville scene. I also was invited to exhibit at the AKC Museum of the Dog in St. Louis, MO. I started having pain and numbness in my arm and hand and was only able to paint for short periods at a time, I was so frustrated and scared. I could no longer continue painting the funny scenes I had become known for. Again, what would I do??? After a frustrating physical therapy appointment in 2013, I went home and was determined to paint. I picked up larger brushes, a slightly different color palette and started to paint. All I had in mind was a simple dog wearing sunglasses…..I lost track of time and painted a dog unlike anything I had painted before. It came out of nowhere. I titled the painting “My Future’s So Bright.” Little did I know that that was the beginning of my next risk that would take me to a new level of success. I experimented more and more with larger brushes/brushstrokes and created a new style that I could paint with less physical pain. I was concerned that in changing my style I would loose my audience that had supported me for ten years. What I found was it opened the door to a new audience of collectors and the journey has continued. I’ve now been painting 18 years, I’m so blessed to be on this journey. Doing what I love and being successful. In 2015 I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis which continues to challenge me. It forced me to take even more risks in order to continue to create. I can see now that it is the “Gift of the challenge” and has made me a better artist.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a self-taught artist and have been painting since 2004. My art career started when I lost my job as a graphic designer due to the company going out of business. My medium is acrylic on canvas. I use both brushes and palette knives to create numerous effects. I am commissioned to paint many pet portraits which are collected internationally. I also sell reproductions of my works on paper, metal and canvas. My art makes people happy, I like having a price point that suits most budgets. One thing I’m most proud of is the fact that my art makes a difference in the lives of homeless animals. When possible I do projects for the local shelters such as painting eight portraits of pets that had been adopted from the shelter. These portraits became the artwork for the rescues new transport van. Projects like this are how I volunteer. It’s a small drop in the bucket but we all need to give back. What sets me apart from others is my unique brushwork. It’s an energy I feel from each subject that cannot be copied.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Doing what I love is very rewarding. What makes me happy is knowing I’m bringing joy to the world with my art. When people connect with a painting because it reminds them of their dog or a loved one that has passed, it touches my heart. Or, when people see their commissioned pet portrait for the first time and their face lights up. The fact that I can take bright colors and unique brushstrokes and create a painting that totally reminds someone of their dog is a wonderful feeling.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve learned so many lessons and I’m sure I have so much more to learn. One thing I’ve learned that has been very important to my success is that I had to make myself available to the public. Customers want to meet the artist and learn the story behind their creations. I feel that people are not only buying a piece of art but a piece of my soul. We connect and it brings a deeper meaning to the art. I’ve made many friends through this process and have customers who come back to visit me year after year.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.angelaalexanderart.com
• Instagram: @angelaalexanderart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelaalexanderart

Image Credits
Steve Mann