Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Vallecorsa.
Hi Alyssa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have been an art educator for the past 18 years, but I have also been creating my own art since before I can remember. I’ve always preferred to play with a brand new pack of crayons and paper instead of dolls and such.
One of my favorite things to do with my incoming art students was to get them going on a successful first art project to boost their morale and show them that anyone can make art. I found a project called a ‘micrography’ and altered it a bit for my classes. This project was so successful that I continued it every year, always tweaking it to make it better. I also like to create the projects along with the students so that they can have the experience of seeing my work along with theirs, that we are going through the same process. This project has grown into something that I enjoy doing on my own time in my own artwork; the work creates a pretty interesting impact to the viewers when they realize that my drawings are made up of words. It has become something I enjoy creating and creating for others as well.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road to where I am now hasn’t been necessarily smooth, I’d wager more of a bumpy discovery. I remember in high school being intimidated by the talent around me. Then on to college where I was working along talented students as well as world-renowned established artists/instructors. Intimidation was a factor, but then I realized I have so much to learn from those around me. I was introduced to more materials as options, as well as styles and techniques. And I have experienced success along with failure in my own work.
When I began teaching, I had the opportunity to do the same for my students – introduce them to many types of art-making materials and types as possible so that they have the chance to try out their interests instead of being intimidated into not trying at all. What I brought to the classroom was a bit more comfort to try new things, and this allowed me to try new things as well.
My work has evolved over the years, and I feel as if I finally found my niche (for now.) It has been a journey to figure out what I want to create and what I like to create. It has taken some time, for sure. But right now, I very much enjoy putting together the work I am creating, and I can thank all the years of trying new things for that.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My micrography drawings are my signature work at the moment. The pieces address the influence of society and aesthetics on the audience and especially their reaction to that work. The reception and feedback elicited from the viewer are of particular importance to me and continue to influence the work I produce. I take into consideration the influence of my interaction with strangers and casual acquaintances, as how they overlap with recordings of those interactions. For example, in my most recent piece, The Painter, I take a look at an artist colleague of mine and depict him as his social self instead of his artistic self. But through the marriage of the words I use to create the image and the image of the man himself, the piece transforms into an allegory.
I often allow the personality of the individuals in the drawings to come through in my work through the use of words and phrases that are used to create the work. Creating large scale works that interact with what the viewer’s perception of “good art” is and can be is a subject that I find challenging and amusing at the same time. The reactions of the viewers when they realize the work is drawn using only letters always bring a smile to my face. Ideally, I would like for each viewer to bring his or her life experience to each piece of my art and get as much, or as little, from it as their artistic experiences dictate.
A lesson I have learned along the way is that patience and practice go hand in hand when learning who you are as an artist – and what is it that your art is trying to say. In this case, it is literally spelled out in the work itself. This sets my work apart from the traditional portrait. It’s more personal, the audience needs to come closer and look closer at the work. What a great way to interact with a drawing, in my opinion.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters to me most is my family; I have always been supported in my artistic endeavors by my family. From an early age, they gave me tools needed to create, and I am thankful for that. They also encouraged me to continue creating when it seemed as if being an artist was something to set to the side. Another aspect of my life that is dear to me is traveling the world in order to experience art in context. I adore cathedrals and museums, as well as art and world history. What better influence is there but to be able to see things around the world as they were intended and experience cultures and their art where they live.
Pricing:
- Prints available starting at $75
- Commissions available starting at $800
Contact Info:
- Email: avallecorsa@gmail.com
- Website: http://alyssavallecorsa.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/sdmissv/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amvallecorsa/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMVallecorsa
Image Credits
All images courtesy of the Artist
