Alexandra Strong

My name is Alexandra and I am a self taught painter from Berry on the NSW South Coast where I have lived all my life and now live with my own young family.

My work is a reflection of my natural surroundings from the rolling hills which surround our region to the fresh open beaches and intricate rock pools which I explore with my little ones.

I have always painted but it was only since having my two children that I felt my inhibitions dissolve enough to show my work to others. Since then I have evolved my work predominantly working in the same style I have been working in since high school. My intuitive style of painting often includes bold colours and layers to reveal the story of my work through the use of pattern. I do this by applying a layer of paint over the colour in varying intensity and embellishing with intricate patterns. I often include strange little creatures and hidden layers in my paintings and my children always make their mark which I include in the finished painting. 

My abstract floral work uses the same energy and layering technique with more of a focus on the shapes and colours of gardens and blooms. The en masse pattern is both bold and pretty.

I have recently  begun some still life work which is a completely different focus, I enjoy this style of painting as I need to engage in a different way of thinking, looking at shape and shadow rather than using my intuition of colour and pattern.  I find this beneficial and a bit of mental shift from my intuitive work when I am not in the flow of my practice. These paintings celebrate the everyday and the household tabletop. 

I am formally trained as a facialist and studied the practice of reiki energy healing which I still use today in my painting. When I am deep in the flow of my work I feel a deep connection to the land and infuse positive energy into every piece through use of colour and texture.