Meet Chloe Alexander | Printmaker & Mixed Media Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chloe Alexander and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chloe, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I chose to become a creative because nothing else seems to be worth my sustained effort. I believe that people who create see the world differently. We don’t just accept things as they are, but we envision what is possible, and with that comes an inherent desire to share with others our perception of the world. It’s something that’s hard to explain unless you have experienced it yourself, but after many years dabbling in other pursuits, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a printmaker, but I also call myself a mixed-media artist since most of my work involves other media, including ink, metallic pigments, gouache and acrylic paint, and other drawing media, such as graphite and charcoal. Most of my prints become mixed-media drawings that combine various printmaking techniques with drawing and painting to create unique, layered, illustrative images. I started making things when I was a kid- I grew up in a semi-isolated area, and I spent most of my time outdoors or working with my hands, doing everything from drawing and painting, collaging, cross-stitching, and hand-building with clay. This persisted through college, and even though, at the time, I did not see myself pursuing art professionally, got a degree in Printmaking because it was something that I loved-I figured I’d get a job in another field and continue to make art as a hobby. At the same time, I worked as a bartender in various venues around Atlanta for about eight years, which led to a feeling of purposelessness and eventual burnout. That led to me going back to school to get a Master’s of Education, since giving back to my community has been another lifelong desire. However, something in me still felt unfulfilled, and after some discontentment and self-reflection, I dove back into my art practice fully and quickly realized that this was the missing part that was the source of what had been an underlying sense of constant discontentment with my life. My journey back to art certainly wasn’t an easy one for sure. There were plenty of obstacles in my way, including finding appropriate work/life balance, self-doubt, and learning to reframe rejection as a learning experience. However, looking back on all of the setbacks I encountered, each of them helped to develop and inform my artistic practice, helping me to arrive at where I am now.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love nature, so I’d recommend visiting some of the trails in and around Atlanta. Arabia, Panola, and Stone Mountains, the Sope Creek Trail, and Sweetwater Creek are a few personal favorites. I’d also recommend a visit to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, which has amazing scenery year-round. When it comes to local hangouts, I have to shout out my hometown, Hapeville, which is 7 miles south of downtown. There are tons murals and public art to experience in the walkable downtown, where you’ll find unique small businesses like Drip Coffee and Beer Girl Growlers and Bottle Shop, which I frequent weekly.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people in my life who I really appreciate and who have played major roles in my journey, so I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to any and everyone who has encouraged me to think big, pursue my dreams even when they seem illogical and not immediately lucrative, and everyone in my life who has given me words of encouragement at moments when I needed them the most. This includes my print community at the Atlanta Printmakers Studio, my residency cohort at the Creatives Project, and of course my family, supporters, and friends, who I like to call my found family.

Website: www.thehaplessprintmaker.com
Instagram: @thehaplessprintmaker

Image Credits
Brock Scott blctx