Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Kay.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I have always been an artist from the time I was a small child. It was just in me. I didn’t play much with toys. All I really needed were crayons and markers. I painted my first mural for a client when I was 15 years old. It was an underwater scene that my friend’s mom commissioned me to paint in their bathroom. About a year later, I was introduced to an interior designer who started bringing me in on projects to paint the walls and furniture in her client’s homes. This was the first time that I realized I could make a career out of this. I went to school for fine art and all along kept up with my decorative painting company. I moved to Houston in 2010. My husband’s job was what brought us there but it turned out to be a great move for me professionally.
I began working with many new designers and really broadened the range of the work that I was doing. There are so many beautiful and architecturally interesting homes in Houston that perfectly invite decorative painting accents. Around this time, I also began doing worship painting at my church Ecclesia Houston. I would create a painting during the service that would illustrate the message that was being shared. I really loved having the opportunity to use the gifts that I have been given to bring a meaningful experience to others. In 2010, my husband and I went on a trip to Haiti to help after the earthquake that took place there earlier that year. It was during that trip that we decided we would like to adopt a child from the country and we began the long journey of making that happen.
In 2013, my husband’s company asked us to relocate to Chattanooga, TN and I have to admit I cried at the thought of leaving Houston. It had been such a wonderful place for me to work as an artist. I had so many new opportunities, but it was time to move. Since relocating, I have continued to maintain many of my clients and the relationships that I have in Houston. I have come back regularly to paint live at Ecclesia Houston’s annual Turning Wine Into Water Gala that they host every December to raise money for Living Water International which builds clean water wells all over the world. I also work on murals and artwork on canvas at my studio in Chattanooga, that I ship to my clients in Houston. My world has changed a lot in the last five years. I had my first child in 2014 and in 2016 after nearly six years in the adoption process, we finally brought our older son home from Haiti! My painting business has also changed now in Tennessee. I’m focusing more on commercial projects and I’ve also begun teaching professional painting workshops at my studio. Being a full time working artist means you wear a lot of hats but I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. It has allowed me to be flexible as my family has grown and our needs have changed.
Please tell us about your art.
My work is very diverse. I’ve always loved trying new techniques and subject matter. Painting is my passion, but I’ve enjoyed pulling other forms of mixed media into my work. It’s probably somewhat unique that I really like to create custom pieces for clients based on their specific tastes. I kind of enjoy being given an assignment that I then need to figure out how to make amazing. A common theme in my work is my use of strong colors and contrast. I am drawn to impressionistic brushwork. I want to make paintings that look like paintings rather than striving to create a photo realism representation of a subject. For me, it’s about creating color combinations and patterns that really sing in harmony together while at the same time representing my subject accurately. The message of my work is really just to enjoy the beauty of the world we get to live in. That could come from nature, people or even the things we make. I strive to make works that complement each individual environment they are designed for.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
I think the fact that the world is now so connected has given artists the opportunity to really up their game. If we have any question of how to go about creating an idea that we have, there is information at our fingertips. There is also an endless inspiration. I love looking at the work of others and trying to decide what I want to pull from it to make it my own. We are all constantly sharing our work and the size of our audience is limitless. We don’t need to wait until we can be backed by a specific gallery although they certainly have their place. We can engage our audience directly. We can also use this huge platform to share the messages that we want our artwork to convey. People don’t need to see our work in person in order for it to have an impact on them. These messages can relate to specific current events and issues or really anything else we want to bring into the light.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The best place to see my work on a daily basis is to follow my Facebook page- Positive Space, Studio of Ali Kay. I post photos and video regularly of the work I have going on in my studio or on a job site. I also open my studio in Chattanooga up to the public on the first Friday of every month. There are about 40 other artists in my building and we all host an Open Studio Night event for art lovers to enjoy. A great way to support me and my work is to share it on social media. Or if you are interested in learning some of my techniques, come to Chattanooga and take a workshop! It’s a cool town to visit!
Contact Info:
- Address: Positive Space
Studio of Ali Kay
302 W. 6th st.
Chattanooga, TN 37402 - Website: www.PositiveSpaceArt.com
- Phone: 423-486-2222
- Email: ali@positivespaceart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ali_kay_studio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/positivespaceart/?ref=settings
Image Credit:
Deji Osinulu
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
