Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Garcia.
Alexandra, before we jump into specific questions about your art, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Born in Miami from Cuban parents, and surrounded by amazing art, music, and breathtaking nature, it’s no wonder that I became an artist and nature lover. My mother is a psychologist and has always exposed me to nature since I was a young age. She encouraged me to go out and explore the world and to leave fear behind. I began with exploring music and singing. Music was my favorite class in elementary school, and then I went to South Miami Middle Community School where I sang in the Choir program.
At 14, I went to Design and Architecture Senior High in Miami. In May 2019, I graduated with Honors from the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Currently, I am a freelance illustrator/graphic designer in Miami. My goal is to teach children about animals through my artwork so that they can love and respect them, and the planet. My illustrations have been published on ReadWorks.org and shown in Miami, New York City, and Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France. Through making art, I hope to spread joy and positivity to everyone I meet.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, it has been a pretty smooth road. I know in my heart that I’ve had a good life and I’m very grateful. However, there have been strange turns and obstacles along the way. As a child, I at times felt very lonely because my parents were divorced and I only had one half-sister who didn’t live with me. I would only see her about twice a month, so when it came to enjoying myself while my parents were at work, I had to get very creative. As I got older, I saw my sister more often and made more friends. In middle school and high school, I really struggled to express myself because I was very shy and had a lot of anxiety. Even if I had something good to say, it was difficult for me to muster up the courage to actually say it.
When applying for colleges I had an especially difficult time because I had all this paperwork to complete (FAFSA was a nightmare), and I mostly had to do it on my own because my whole family is from Cuba and they had never done it before. While I was looking at some art schools out of state, my mom told me that the only way I would go out of state is if I got a full scholarship. With this in mind, I did my very best in school and worked harder than I ever had. That being said, I understood my mom and knew that college was expensive, so I gave it my all. A few months later, I was really staring at that letter in my hands and it felt so good. All that hard work at DASH was so worth it, and four years later I know that the even harder work at SVA was also worth it.
Living in New York City is tough, needless to say. It is impersonal, exhausting, and so cold in the winter. In New York, I struggled with a lot of anxiety, depression, homesickness, and I was just plain overworked. I am lucky to have had such a supportive family during this time away from home. It wasn’t all bad, of course. There were really lively, happy times, too! I made friends, learned SO much from my professors at SVA, became more independent, and even met my wonderful partner. Being at SVA even gave me the opportunity to show work in France! It was all worth it.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
As a freelance illustrator and graphic designer, I make illustrations for books, greeting cards, posters, and pretty much anything that can have a drawing on it. I also make logos and do typography for other companies. The subject matter I specialize in is nature and animals. I adore animals and I really feel that I bring that love into my artwork. I mostly work in watercolor and ink, but I also love using pencil and working digitally on my iPad. I am extremely proud to have been making illustrations for an organization based in New York called ReadWorks for the past few months.
They make Ebooks for children so that they can learn how to read while looking at educational, beautiful artwork at the same time. What sets me apart from others is that for me, illustration is not just a job. With every commission, an opportunity for connection with another person comes along with it. When I make artwork or designs for people, I am fully invested in what they do and I put a lot of love and positivity into the artwork. I make sure that people can count on me and have a smile on their faces when they see the final product. It might sound cheesy, but there is a piece of myself in everything that I make and give to others.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood is dressing up with my sister and copying the dance moves in Madonna’s music videos. We used to spend entire Saturdays singing, dancing, and coming up with new ideas for costumes (even if they were made out of paper). If I could go back in time, I would definitely pick one of those moments.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aquaticalex.com
- Phone: 3058988837
- Email: aquaticalex97@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aquaticalex97/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/aquaticalex_art
Image Credit:
Anthony Shagan
Brenda Gonzalez
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