Meet Alexis Fraser of Lipstick Lex in Sarasota

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Fraser.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve been in love with art and anything crafty from the very beginning. I knew from an early age that a creative occupation path was in the cards but never believed being an actual artist could work in my favor as that’s the fear that society will install in a young creative. Because of this, I decided in my early 20’s that I would get my degree in education. I figured, if I can’t create art for a living, then I’ll teach art.

Fast forward a few years with my degree to teach secondary art in hand and there were very little teaching positions apply for in my field at the time. So, while in the midst of waiting for classrooms to open up, I started painting in my spare time. I painted A LOT! It was amazing… I experimented with numerous mediums and studied varying subject matter while trying to find my voice as an artist.

I would post some of my creations on Facebook from time to time and every now and then, folks would ask if the piece was for sale or if they could commission me to create something specifically for them. This excited me and began to give me hope that if I could just find my voice, my niche, and brand myself that maybe I could actually make a living at this!

It took me many years to find my artistic calling. I knew I wanted to create in a way that was innovative, something that would make folks stop and go, “wow!” I wanted to differentiate myself in the art world to gain recognition and success. I wanted to be the only one doing what I do!

After many years of exploration, it was in 2012 that the lipstick medium opened itself up to me. I was about to create a very large portrait of Marilyn Monroe and decide that I would create her portrait in an unconventional way that would still correlate with Marilyn. After a couple of days of brainstorming, the idea of creating Marilyn with lipstick while utilizing my kiss prints was just too fitting not to try!

The lipstick painting was a success and that is where the seed of Lipstick Lex was planted.

My lipstick art today has a specific style and mission to serve! Over the years the kiss print became very symbolic to me. In my eyes, the kiss print represents many positive emotions; love, self-love, kindness, positivity, warmth, beauty, femininity, empowerment, etc. And because I utilize a feminine medium (lipstick) I have found that my niche is primarily women.

While I’ve had fun with various subject matter over the years, today, I create images that trigger all of these positive emotions and you’ll find that portraits of beautiful empowering women tend to be my go-to subject matter.

The past two years of my career have been exhilarating and I’m so grateful for the places my art has taken me. I’ve traveled around the globe for various exhibitions and beauty campaigns, been credited locally, nationally and worldwide due to TV appearances, worldwide press, celebrity purchases, exhibitions, and workshops. I’m constantly creating for myself and for others. The journey has been a beautiful rollercoaster ride, to say the least.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The journey has been rough and has tested me time and time again. Trying to find my voice as an artist was the first battle and has since progressed into the entrepreneurial realm.

Becoming a successful creative entrepreneur definitely has its challenges as running a business has been a learning curve for me. I’ve spent countless days and hours, reading, listening, researching and mimicking others to learn what it takes to run a successful small business and maintain a mindful, yet business-savvy mindset.

Additionally, I am a mother of two children and a wife of my high school sweetheart, so the juggle between home-life and my time spent in the studio is a balancing act in itself!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Lipstick Lex story. Tell us more about it.
I am proud of the creative entrepreneur I have become! Never would I have imagined my life as “Lipstick Lex” – a one-of-a-kind visual artist utilizing 100% lipstick and her kisses spreading love and positive vibes one kiss at a time.

Tell us about your childhood, what were you like growing up?
Growing up I was shy & compliant. I was a kind soul who was imaginative, naive and honestly had my head in the clouds! It took a long time for me to mature and to this day, I still see that girl within me.

I kind of amazed myself when I look around and see all I have achieved and accomplished. Somewhere along the line, I wised up and decided to grow up, evolve and become a better more badass version of myself!

Pricing:

• My base price on my original art is $4 per square inch.
• Services provided are: Custom art, large scale art/murals, live art, installations, workshops

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lipsticklex.com
• Phone: 941-704-8551
• Email: lex@lipsticklex.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lipstick_lex/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lipsticklex/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lipstick_Lex
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lipsticklex/

Image Credit:
Photo with Michael Strahan and Sara Haines (via photographers at Strahan & Sara), Photo with Kelly Pickler and Ben Aaron (via photographers at Pickler & Ben)

Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.