Transforming Art with Alexa Meade

Alexa Meade, a talented artist which discovered her passion and notwithstanding the myriad of challenges, she followed her dream and became successful, making a 3D space look like a 2D painting.

Impakter: How did you find your passion?

Alexa Meade: I grew up in Washington D.C. I was interested in politics and I studied Political Science in the college. I also interned in Capital Hill and worked for the Obama campaign in Colorado in 2008 as a press staffer.

One day I came up with this simple idea of putting black paint over natural shadows, that made me realize that by painting the mapping of light on the top of an object I was able to make a 3D space look like a 2D painting. At that point, I just graduated from college and decided not to get a job in politics but to make a career as an artist.

How did you master your skills?

A.M.: I did not study painting, as I mentioned I studied politics. I developed my drawing skills by looking at objects in a 3D space and tried to figure out how to make a painting from them. Of course, there was a lot of trial and error and I am still learning new skills.

Where and how do you come up with ideas for your paintings?

A.M.: Well, I am often inspired by people, as they always have something about them that makes me look at them and paint. I can also say that all my inspiration is in 3D space. I don’t really sketch, I don’t do preparation steps as most artists do before they paint and I don’t paint on canvas. When I’m conceptualizing a new composition, I like to think about the subject matter as a complete space rather than the static image.

Which challenges did you have in the beginning and how did you manage them?

A.M.: One challenge was just a lack of confidence and not feeling comfortable with telling people that I was not an artist. It was scary and I felt vulnerable about it. But I overcame these feelings with a help of my friends and parents who believed in me and made me feel more confident about what I was doing.

Another challenge was painting on non-traditional surfaces. Instead of using canvas I had to find different objects to paint on. As I did not have a job and I did not have enough money, I spent a lot of time in my parents’ kitchen and I painted on objects like grapefruits, lemons and other objects.

Photo Credit: Alexa Meade

Can you tell us about your process for portraits?

A.M.: Usually I spend around thirty minutes trying to figure out the composition I am going to paint so this is the most stressful and the hardest part of the process for me. But, once I have a clear vision, everything goes fast. I can spend two hours on painting the clothes, about an hour to painting background and finally a half an hour to paint the model. After that, I spend another hour for the photography and video. So it takes sometimes the whole afternoon, however for the big projects I need more time to paint a background.

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What type of paint do you use?

A.M.: I use non-toxic acrylic paints which is better for the skin. In order to prevent cracking and to increase the longevity of the paint, I put down a layer of liquid latex first to prime the skin, all while ensuring the model does not have an allergy to it.

Photo Credit: Alexa Meade

Tell me about your style. Would you consider trying something new?

A.M.: I always experiment with other styles, I’m creating some tessellating shape tiles as a design toy that helps build spatial intelligence. I also have an idea for turning my house into a funhouse. It combines all different sorts of optical illusions. I’ve built all sorts of contraptions with Chris Hughes like a periscope mirror system that allows me to see outside all of the windows in my house while I’m lying in bed. My pantry doubles as a mini disco hall. My bathroom closet has a neon jungle and demands special diffraction film eyewear that turns the world into rainbows.