Today we’d like to introduce you to Alaina Lyle.
Alaina, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I majored in Sculpture with a concentration in Printmaking and Art History from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2009. After working in the service industry for many years and keeping my art as my side job, I am now able to focus on creating full time. I moved from Atlanta to Santa Monica to try and focus on art but quickly realized that I had no space or money to weld or make large sculptures. Paper was cheap, and I could store it under my bed. That started my love of paper cuts, then when my hand gets tired of the X-acto, I paint watercolors. I moved back to Georgia in 2016 to work on art full time. Festivals, popups, and gallery show now pay my bills which can be terrifying, but also rewarding.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My creative approach—no matter the medium—is to find the calm in the process of detail. My art is a practice in patience. It is intricate, but my intention is very simple. The time I spend on my art is a form of therapy. I use nature as my inspiration, and each detail I put into my pieces is a small portion of the web that makes up our chaotic life.
Surrounding myself with nature has allowed me to nurture my creative process.
I focus most of my work on watercolors and paper cut outs. I also love propagating plants and have turned my cut outs into stencils to decorate terracotta pots. The cutouts take such a long time I have to figure out more ways to use the images. I have silk screened shirts and bags, and I am always thinking of new ways to use the designs I create.
For me, creating art is not necessarily about saying something. I’d rather have viewers step back from their messy lives and get lost in the small details that make up the bigger picture. We are bombarded with information that we sift through so quickly that content is lost. Someone looking at my work could quickly pass it by, but if they spend time and look at the details, I hope it will bring a sense of calm and tranquility.
Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
I have mixed feelings about conditions for artists today. On the one hand, it is much easier to get your work out into the world with social media and online shopping, but with that ease comes a lot of content that floods the market making it harder to capture the sale. It is the same with art festivals and gallery showings; it’s hard to make sure you are at the best one to reach the most people.
I think Atlanta is doing a great job at supporting local art with projects like Living Walls and Art on the Beltline, but the rise in the cost of living is pushing a lot of artists outside of the city. They can no longer afford to live in the places that they made popular. With the new increase in the budget for art funding I hope that Atlanta will create more small grants for the struggling artist community that makes this a great city to live in.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Crafted Westside has some wonderful pieces that you can go pick up any time. Or you can check out my website www.alainalyle.com. I try and put up new work every month and also have a list of future events and festivals I will attend. A great way to see new works and works in progress would be through Instagram @apracticeinpatience. Through November and December, I will have a few pieces at Little Things exhibition at the Swan Coach House Gallery.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alainalyle.com
- Email: apracticeinpatience@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apracticeinpatience/?hl=en
Image Credit:
Cactus photo: Olya Grigorova
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