alliconrad.com
@alliconradstudio
Tell us who you are.
Howdy! My name is Alli Conrad, an expat at heart with a cultured background - I am a painter & muralist based in Los Angeles.
What inspired you to become an artist and muralist?
What inspired me to become an artist was a summer spent in Israel a few years ago which truly broke the straw on the camel's back. While roaming the small cobblestone streets of the mystical town, Tzfat, I stumbled into a local gallery as a painting by a local Israeli artist had drawn me in. As corny as it sounds, it was love at first sight. I was young, clueless, and had yet to mold into my own skin. I thought I had the faintest idea, yet I was only fooling myself to fit a shoe that simply did not fit. It was until I came back from this trip that I came back refreshed, re-centered, grounded and most importantly beyond confident with my own skin and who I am.
To shorten a long story, fast forward three years and I am utterly obsessed with painting. The way it provokes such emotion, reflection, vulnerability and discovery is exactly why I am in love with being an artist. There is so much life and wisdom that is within the act of painting. There is always a life lesson waiting to be discovered if you choose to see it as so.
Becoming a muralist on the other hand, also stumbled upon me at such a coincidental time. The day I was let go from my job, I had a meeting with a friend who owned a building in the Arts District who was proposing for me to execute a mural inside the lofty industrial space. Two weeks later I was painting my first mural.
How would you describe your style of work?
Primitive, Whimsical, Abstract, Contemporary, Vibrant, Intentional Imperfections
Who or what are your biggest influences?
My influences are always changing but to name a few of my favorite artists: Marc Chagall, Gunther Forg, Michael Basquiat, Pablo Picasso, Paul Du Toit, and Renee Magritte. My other influences are based on the act of discovery to which I find through simply life itself of meeting new people, trying new things, traveling to new places, history, cultures, religions, films and books.
What does home mean to you?
Home to me is a space, a place, an environment to which I feel completely and utterly myself. Safe, vulnerable, comfortable and warm.
How would you describe your home's personality?
Warm, safe, comfortable, cozy, clean, natural, light, inviting and inspiring.
How do you rest, restore, and re-energize?
Alone time - to which during that alone time I will read, write, watch great films, run, and/or travel.
What advice can you give to aspiring artists?
Trust your gut. Keep yourself open. Keep the shades off and curtains open. Keep experimenting until something sticks ~ trial and error. Believe in yourself and train the mind to filter out the negative talk. Write down and set goals. Be resilient and adaptable. Persevere and manifest.