Alexis Arnold
Biography
Alexis Arnold was born in Milwaukee, WI, and grew up in Sturgeon Bay, WI.
After graduating from UW Stout in Menomonie, WI with a Fine Art Degree and
concentration in art metals, she moved to St. Paul, MN. There she worked in a
commercial photography lab and later at Art Resources Gallery.
After a couple of years in Minnesota, she relocated to Portland, Oregon, and
spent fifteen years living there. While in Portland Alexis worked for another
photographer and then branched off on her own. She ran a successful
photography business for ten years on the West Coast photographing
weddings, portraits, fashion & small businesses. Alexis moved back to her home
state of Wisconsin in 2016 and is currently residing in Green Bay.
Her fine artwork is created with the unique and versatile medium of encaustic.
From incorporating vintage found materials from adventures to local antique
stores into her work to her bold and texturized abstracts, the work always has a
story to tell. Her encaustic artwork has been shown in solo and group exhibitions
throughout Wisconsin.
Her daughter and two dogs keep her busy. When she is not spending time with
them she is playing with fire and wax or helping artists through Art Connective, a
non-profit organization she created. She loves being a mentor to others and
helping artists learn how to be an entrepreneur.
Whether it is blending materials to create a one-of-a-kind piece or incorporating
her photography into a dreamy wax form, she often starts with ideas in the form
of sketches. Alexis enjoys the tactile quality of the wax and the slowness of
working with the medium. The process slows her down and allows her intuition
to lead in an almost meditative way.
Artist Statement
I have been inspired to explore and create artwork inspired but the power
of symbols that surround us.
At a practical level, they point us in the right direction, they issue caution,
they give us choices, or they limit them. Symbols are necessary to
navigate through our everyday lives, an example of this are the road signs
with bold colors and simple meanings.
What I am interested in exploring through my mixed media artworks are
the symbols that are hidden and have deeper meanings. They can be a
powerful gateway to our less conscious levels of human experience when
we are open to receiving them.
Symbols evoke profound emotions and memories—at a very primal level
of our being—often without our making rational or conscious connections.
They send us messages which gently guide us in a different direction. I
intend to enable the viewer & art collector to access aspects of their
existence that cannot be accessed in any other way.