My name is Alex and I am a self taught full time painter from Berry on the NSW South Coast where I have lived all my life and now live with own young family.
My work is a reflection of my natural surrounding from the rolling hills which surround our region to the fresh open beaches and intricate rock pools which I explore with my little ones.
I have always painted but it was only since having my two children that I felt my inhibitions dissolve enough to show my work to others. Since then I have evolved my work predominantly working in the same style I have been working in since high school. My intuitive style of painting often includes bold colours and layers to reveal the story of my work through the use of pattern. I do this by applying a layer of paint over the colour in varying intensity and embellishing with intricate patterns. I often include strange little creatures and hidden layers in my paintings and my children always make their mark which i include in the finished painting.
My abstract floral work uses the same energy and layering technique with more of a focus on the shapes and colours of gardens and blooms. The en masse pattern is both bold and pretty.
I have recently begun some still life work which is a completely different focus, i enjoy this style of painting as i need to engage in a different way of thinking, looking at shape and shadow rather than using my intuition of colour and pattern. I find this beneficial and a bit of mental shift from my intuitive work when I am not in the flow of my practice. These paintings celebrate the every day and the household tabletop.
I am formally trained as a facialist and studied the practice of reiki energy healing which I still use today in my painting. When I am deep in the flow of my work I feel a deep connection to the land and infuse positive energy into every piece through use of colour and texture.
Exhibitions:
2024: Solo, The Garden, Berry
2023: Group show, Gallery Alchemy, Milton
2023: Solo, Fern Street Gallery, Gerringong
2023: Group Show, 55 Parrots, Bulli
2023: Affordable Art Fair with JUMBLED, Sydney
2023: Solo at The Garden, Berry
2022: Sydney + Melbourne Affordable art fair
2022: Group Show; Toowoomba Gallery
2022: Group show; King and Ayres Wollongong
2022: Art superstar finalist JUMBLED Orange
2022: "Alexandra Strong X Belle Property Berry
2022: "Window box" Nowra Regional Gallery
2022: "The Picnic" Fern street Gallery
2021: "From the table" Walcha gallery of art
2021: Duo exhibition "From the garden" with Jess Hutchison at Fern Street Gallery.
2021:Solo exhibition "Beachcomber" Minnamurra General store
2021: Group exhibition "Sea breeze" 55 Parrots Bulli
2020: Solo exhibition “wattlewood” Fern Street Gallery Gerringong
2019: Solo exhibition “Homespun” at The Garden Cafe in Berry
2019: Group exhibition at Minnamurra General Store
2019: Solo exhibition “Coast” at Work Life Kiama
2018: Solo exhibition “Rockpool” a Minnamurra General Store
2018: Solo exhibition “The Road Home” at Work Life in Berry
2018: Group exhibition”Willow cricket bats” in Kiama
2017: Group exhibition “ Frida visits Kiama” at Beachside Emporium in Kiama