Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Colella.
Hi Alicia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hi! My name is Alicia Colella and I live in Charleston, SC. I was born in the beautiful colonial city of Puebla, Mexico and moved to the US after high school. I live with my beautiful family and I have 3 wonderful children.
When I was a young girl, growing up in Puebla, Mexico, I enjoyed doodling quite a bit. I participated in an art contest in the 3rd grade. I had no idea of what I was getting into. It was exciting to be a part of it, but my peers were more talented and I felt intimidated. Later on in High School, I took an art class where my artwork wasn’t at the lever of my peers . I was intrigued about the idea of going to Graphic Design school during my Senior year in High School. I looked into it, but I couldn’t afford it because materials and tools were very expensive at the time in Mexico. After a semester in college, I moved to the United States to reunite with my mother, I was 18 at the time and felt lost. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do or what path to take.
I was advised to look into Accounting so I returned to school . I worked full time during the day and went to college in the evenings. It took longer for me to graduate than most. By the time I got my degree in Accounting, I was married with a young family and my third child was on the way. We were always told to choose a career that offered job security and benefits. The idea of doing what you love was foreign to me at the time. I always felt stuck in a career path that I didn’t really enjoy, but I chose it for job security and I was very determined and committed to help my husband support our family and provide for our 3 young children. With a full-time job and 3 young children there was never time left to start new hobbies. We moved our family from Maryland to Charleston, SC. I continued working full time as an Accountant, by this time my children were a little older, but we were more busy than ever.
Charleston offered new inspirations and so much natural and architectural beauty. While walking the streets of Charleston, I noticed a lot of architectural similarities from my hometown in Puebla. I decided to sketch in pen and ink. I have always enjoyed architectural drawing very much because I enjoy the details such as: patterns, symmetry, and balance found in church steeples, balconies, gates, and ornate buildings. I started dabbling in pen and ink as a hobby at first. I love fine pens and I have a collection of them. I began sketching the roth iron gates of Charleston, which adorn many buildings in the peninsula. My own children suggested that I sell my art because they thought it was beautiful and so, I did!
A small hobby turned into a small art business. I used any free time I had. A couple of art galleries in the area quickly offered me an opportunity to sell my art prints. Small blessings started to come in and a few more orders. I didn’t really have a plan, but I realized I had a business growing and that I had become an artist.
About three years ago, I began painting with acrylics. I incorporate palette knives with some of my paintings and I use the Charleston landscapes as my inspiration. I playfully add soothing colors that capture my imagination and represent happiness and peace. I love painting the ocean with beautiful, colorful skies. The marshes around us offer incredible versatility with so many shapes and colors to create from. I am always studying different techniques and styles.
My painting style is a mix of Impressionism, Expressionism, and abstract art, using mixed media, acrylic, and pen and ink.
My goal is to leave a legacy for my children, to inspire awe, and to make my audience happy. I want my paintings to reflect expressions of joy, peace, relaxation, softness, and therapeutic healing. My art is my passion and I hope to be able to do it full time one day. I strive to make my clients happy and I hope you enjoy my works of art made of love.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My biggest challenge is finding time to work on my art projects. It is not easy to juggle family life, a full-time job, and an art business. My growth as an artist and entrepreneur has been slow. I am only able to use a few hours during the weekends to create, attend local markets, or write posts on social media.
Social Media marketing doesn’t come easy to me. There is a lot to learn and it is constantly changing. Figuring out how to use the platforms for marketing is daunting. Meanwhile, it took several years to finally have a website. I didn’t know how to build one myself and hiring someone to build one for you is expensive. After 12 years since I started my art journey, I finally have a website, but there is still quite a bit to learn on how to manage it or use it on the back end.
I have gotten requests from customers or suggestions from friends to offer other products using my artwork. I have developed a few sets of notecards, tea towels, and Christmas ornaments with my art prints. Through trial and error and self-teaching I have been able to learn how to source vendors, purchase wholesale, pricing and so many other details. It has been a long learning curve, but a rewarding one. A couple of years ago, I set up an Etsy shop. Again, after a long time of thinking and researching and trying to figure out how to, I finally took a leap of faith and opened a shop. One of the biggest challenges that prevented me from launching it sooner, was having good photographs of the artwork. I have tried several things and even purchased a camera, but I still don’t take good pictures or know how to edit them myself so I ended up hiring photographers. Another big obstacle and a challenging one is SEO. Writing optimal descriptions for the listings has been a huge undertaking. In summary, there is a lot to learn, but as long as I hustle and take the time to dive into it, it always pays off.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My artwork consists of two different mediums: Pen and Ink, and Acrylic Paintings. My work is known by a collection of sketches of the Charleston Gates that I have developed over a span of twelve years. The sketches are in pen and ink, black and white art line style drawn by freehand. I enjoy the symmetry and balance of the ornate details and patterns of these architectural iconic pieces. I have also drawn some of the beautiful historical buildings and church steeples and I also have other new sketches that I would love to share with my audience soon. I am very detailed when I draw with pen and ink, one tiny mistake or a smudge can ruin hours of work. To make it all balanced to the naked eye, I draw at scale and precise units of measure.
I enjoy acrylic painting immensely. I find it to be therapeutic, relaxing, and a beautiful means of expression. My paintings are known for their soft and happy colors. My inspiration is drawn from the amazing landscapes where I live in the Charleston area. I like to use different techniques: sometimes I use palette knives and create impasto-style abstracts combining colors and expressions of peace. Most times I use paintbrushes, especially if I am working on marsh landscapes or seascapes with beautiful colorful skies. I want my paintings to reflect a sense of peace, harmony, and happiness.
I believe that what sets me apart is that I don’t have one particular art style. I have the versatility of using different mediums and create completely different art pieces and moods. A collage of my sketches in black and white adds a touch of classic elegance, it can mute a very busy room or it can add a statement. My paintings, on the other hand, can add a spark of color and a happy mood to any space.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I am very proud of the work I have produced over the past 12 years. I have learned to value my work and elevate it to share it with the world. It took me a long time to call myself an artist and realize that I had become one until much later. I have also acquired the confidence to be in front of a diverse audience and show my work. Once you become an artist you are a jack of all trades. It is a long process of learning and discovery. I have learned about SEO, photographing the art, marketing, and social media, selling, wow and the list goes on. There is still so much to learn and the world around us keeps changing… We are lucky to have a lot of tools and resources at our disposal, but it takes time to learn it and implement it.
I feel that I am always a step behind, by the time a holiday arrives, I am scrambling to put together a project and execute it. So, I have learned that I need to do plenty of planning ahead of time. It is also more cost-effective because last-minute preparation or lack of it, leads to paying extra for material and shipping, for example.
I have also learned the importance of setting goals and tasks so as not to be overwhelmed and to follow a plan of action. It leads to more production and little joys of achievement.
As I mentioned before with all the changes in technology and resources, adaptability and openness to learn new ways of doing things can lend itself to be more productive. Probably the most important lesson learned is to value the work and to show it and share it with confidence.
Contact Info:
- Email: artbyaliciac@gmail.com
- Website: www.AliciaColellaart.
com - Instagram: https://Instagram.
com/AliciaColella.art - Facebook: https://Facebook.
com/AliciaColellaArt - Other: https://linktr.ee/
aliciacolellaart
Image Credits
Eastlyn Photography
Leigh Hayward Photography
