Featured Artist of the Week: Alexandra K Conrad

Alexandra K Conrad  

                                       Website: www.akconradart.com

Contact

akcmail@akconradart.com

905 883 5539

Alexandra K. Conrad, an honours graduate of OCA (OCAD University), has also Master of Science Degree in Geography and is registered Professional Engineer of Ontario in the discipline of Mineral Engineering.

In her professional journey, after working in engineering projects, she moved to the field of arts, doing designs and illustrations (commercial and medical) as well as fine art paintings. She paints in various media but mainly in acrylic and oil. Subjects of her paintings include landscapes, cityscapes, nature, visual interpretation of music, abstract and portraits. Doing portraits is her most successful work, with the greatest clients appreciation.
            In 2007 she was accepted as a member of the Portrait Society of Canada (PSC), based on her work on portraits. She is a member of Richmond Hill Group Artists (RHGA) as well as associate member of the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA).

“Yonge St in Richmond Hill”

Medium: acrylic on canvas

Size: 18 x 16 inches

  

Where were you born? 

I was born in Gostynin, Poland, which is the town located north - west from Warsaw.
I was there only for four years after I lived and studied in Warsaw.

I came to Canada in 1976 and stayed here since then.

If you could have an art related vacation anywhere in the world where would you go and why? 

I have two places where I would like to have an art vacation.

One place is:

Tuscany, Italy is my dream destination for art related vacation.
I have always been enchanted with its scenery seen in the movies and photo books.
I love to see Tuscany’s landscape with the hills and nature, especially cypress trees and olive groves, the winding country roads, fields, architecture of towns and the remarkable light constantly changing the scenery.

The other place is:

South of France including Arles where Vincent van Gogh was creating his fantastic paintings.  His use of colours, application of paint – the strong and interpretive brush strokes
I always admire. I would like to see the actual places, which he interpreted in his paintings.

What’s your favourite thing to create and why?

I particularly enjoy painting portraits. When creating a portrait, besides portraying likeness, catching the person’s feeling and expression is my biggest challenge and accomplishment. In my portrait painting I am not after a photographic representation of the person, but rather showing my impression of the individual and his/her overall physical and emotional gesture. To capture this gesture I am not looking only for the special facial expression, which has tremendous importance in the portrait, but also, for overall pose, including the position of the hands and legs. All these gesture elements contribute to the intimate expression of the individual and represent the “soul of that person” in that moment.

Quite often, in the portraits, which I have done, the eyes of the person stare straight at the viewer and his/her gaze follows the onlooker when he/she moves from side to side looking at the painting. This creates the additional emotional connection between the portrayed person and the person looking at the painting.

“Mrs Elefteria with Kenjisan”

Medium: Oil on canvas

Size: 24 x 36 inches

Besides portraits I paint other themes, which inspire me. (landscape, cityscape, nature, abstract).

  

“David Dunlop Observatory in the Fall”

Medium: watercolour on paper

Size: 20.5 x 14 inches

How did you get your start in the world of art?

I always liked to draw and paint however my professional art career started later on in life.  My other business engagements did not leave too much time for art creation. However, whenever possible I have been drawing and painting since young age and finally I dedicated more time for art. Professionally I have been engaged in art for approximately 20 years, after graduating from the OCA (OCAD University). 

Do you have go-to paints/colors that you love to use in your artwork?

Red and all sun related colours I use quite often in my artwork.

 

“Red Poppies”

Medium: oil on gallery canvas

Size: 16 x 20 inches

Who has been your biggest inspiration as an artist? 

From my early years, my mother influenced my love to art and art creation. She admired paintings of the Impressionists especially Vincent van Gogh and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

What have been some of your crowning achievements?

Painting portraits is my most satisfying work of art so far. Clients’ appreciation and satisfaction bring me a lot of pleasure.

I received positive comments from the art professionals about my work on portraits.
One of them is a long time art professor Stefan Stankiewicz – Fine Art University in Gdansk, Poland. He encouraged me to allocate more time in my art creation to painting portraits.

 

: “Caribbean Girl”

Medium: oil on gallery canvas

Size: 14 x 11 inches

“Asia”

Medium: pastel on paper

Size: 14 x 15 inches

If you could have three wishes as an artist, what would they be?
 

I wish that I had more time for painting, a spacious studio and
to have a growing number of friends artist.

What is the best advice that you have received as an artist?

Paint what you feel and the way you see it. Paint and draw a lot.

  

What colour best describes your personality?

It is difficult to say, however I like red, which I use for accents in almost every painting.
I am trying to be optimistic in various life situations and red is a happy colour,
so I guess that is my colour. 

“Elora Walk”

Medium: oil on gallery canvas

Size: 36 x 36 inches