WorksofaQuirk

Hi! I'm Alex and I make art Here are a few random facts about me: - My favorite color is tied between navy blue and forest green but I also love a good terracotta accent - I am half Australian -I am a middle child through and through and dont like attention and always seek to find peace in conflicts - I believe life is too short and has enough hurt to be hateful towards anyone, so I do my best to spread kindness. You never know what someone is going through or what led to their actions and I think anyone is capable of growth and change. - My spirit animal is between a platypus and hedgehog - I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and moved to the Austin area in 2011 - I try not to take myself or my work too seriously, but use what skills I have to create something positive that makes the world a little brighter - Coffee shops, gardens, mountains, and rivers are my favorite places - I have 92 plants in my house and could always use more - My sidekick is a 90 ib Airedale Terrier named Murphy who will be turning 10 in January - I am very introverted but grew up in a family of extroverts. I do love people, but get overstimulated and drained easily in crowds. Being out in nature alone or listening to good music while journaling or doing art recharges me. - My favorite bird is a hummingbird and I dream of one landing on me - A few my favorite movies are Dead Poet Society, Lord of the Rings, Arrietty, Revolutionary Road, A Little Princess, the Secret Garden, and about 50 others are tied hah - I love tea. A proper kettle and loose leaf though, no microwaved tea bags please haha. - I dislike potatoes - My favorite weather is a good thunderstorm, quiet cozy Autumn, or cool spring day - My favorite trees are redwood, maple, and aspen - My favorite flowers are clover blossoms, Persian Buttercups, Island poppies, and daisies And there ya have it! Thanks for supporting me and my art ❤️

A few years ago I would never have guessed I would be creating art for a living. I am so grateful for the journey that led me here and am excited to grow in my skills and see where it takes me. A big thank you to all of my loyal collectors for supporting me as I've navigated the art world. #austinartist #natureartist #shopsmall #shopsmallatx #printmaking #watercolorartist #printmakingartist 📷 @stephaniequirkphotography

As we approach the end of the year, I've been doing a lot of reflection on areas I'd like to improve as well as big projects I'm excited to tackle in the new year. With passing time, I've grown more passionate about these values, and while I'm sure they'll shift slightly over the years, I hope the core of these values remain true. Thanks for supporting my art and small business! #smallbusiness #natureart #austinartist 📷 @stephaniequirkphotography

I know a lot of you guys have been waiting patiently and I'm happy to share that a few editions of Duck Butts are officially available on the website! A few framed editions have already found their homes :) Story behind the art: “During a visit to Boerne, Texas I sat on the river edge at the park and noticed the ducks sticking their butts out of the water while they caught fish. I thought it was a hilarious sight and wondered what it looked like under the water. That curiosity inspired this piece. I wanted it to capture the silliness and chaos of ducks catching fish and utilize the medium to invert the black and white during the transition under the water.” This piece in a museum-grade hand-milled walnut frame by @avaframesmoab (as pictured) is available to Austin residents upon request. Dm for inquiries 📷 @stephaniequirkphotography #linocut #ducksofinstagram #natueeartist #printmakingartist

Yesterday I took my kayak to explore a different Texas ecosystem with the alligators, river otters, snakes, turtles, great blue herons, egrets and paddlefish among these 600 year old bald cypress trees blanketed in spanish moss. I only explored a small section since it's alligator mating season and wanted to respect their territory, but here are a few snippets of my time there. #bote #kayakadventures #naturelovers #natueeartist #bayou

Lately I've been doing pen sketching whenever I have the chance and have really enjoyed layering watercolor on my normally monotone ink work. I utilize reference photos for a lot of my custom work for practicality, but definitely have always preferred plein air and in-person work. With any photo reference work, you lose the character, nuance, and charm that comes with an in-person perspective of the space. The human perspective through the lens of an individual rather than the analytical execution through a reference makes a big difference. This sketch isn't perfect, some things are proportionally inaccurate, some details omitted and others emphasized, the colors are based on my palette rather than working to perfectly color-match etc... but those are the things that make me enjoy it all the more. The human touches that can't be replicated by AI and are wholly unique to the artist are what I love about art. Anyway, here's an "alla prima" of a library I enjoy in a place I frequent back in my hometown. #watercolorartist #penandinkartist #noai #allaprima #pleinair

A new framed miniature is now available on the website! This is an imaginary glimpse into a lush garden with runner ducks passing in front of a thriving greenhouse. I like to imagine opening up my studio window to let the crisp air in and watch the runner ducks while I work my way though a nice kettle of tea and paint. This watercolor and gouache miniature was painted on a 3” by 3” handmade cold-pressed cotton paper. It was reproduced at size by a local fine art company in a small-batch 75 edition series. It’s paired with a cherrywood frame that was hand-crafted in Salt Lake City, Utah. Reach out for Inquiries about purchasing the original 📷 @stephaniequirkphotography #miniatureart #runnerducks #watercolorartist #greenhouse #dreamgarden

New art! This is the first piece I've been able to carve the detail I've been craving out of blocks - it took a lot of experimenting with different materials and inks and I'm pretty excited to finally tap into carving techniques that feel more natural to me. The subject of this piece is a completely made up cottage in a place that doesn't exist. I carved it after being discouraged by the housing market in Austin and the limitations of my husband's job not allowing him to relocate. I know that a seemingly unattainable dream resonates with a lot of people today - so this piece represents that longing, hope, and daring to dream for things that feel out of reach. You can now find a few unframed hand-pressed editions of this 75 edition piece titled "The House I can't Afford" on my website. Museum -grade framing is also available to Austin-based residents upon request. 📷 @stephaniequirkphotography #linocut #printmaking #forestlovers #househunting

A few editions of this 75 edition linocut are officially available on the website! One of the simple joys I’ve experienced while admiring wildflowers is noticing amongst all the hard working pollinators, the bee that is inside a flower with just its butt sticking out wiggling, the napping bee covered in pollen after a full feast, and just the small behaviors that remind me that even the most industrious workers can be silly. This piece was hand-pressed on traditional mulberry paper with sage-green oil-based ink and paired with a handcrafted cherry wood frame 📷 @stephaniequirkphotography #printmaking #linocut #beerlover #springintexas #artdrop

New art drop! A few editions of this large watercolor are officially available on the website! This piece has probably been my most challenging work to date. I created it over several weeks of 10-14 hour days in the studio - designing the buildings, carefully painting each brick, capturing small details with an unforgiving medium and at the largest scale I’ve done.  It was inspired by the resilient plants growing through the cracks in the concrete sidewalks against all odds. These imaginary buildings represent man-made creations being reclaimed by nature. A portrayal of the tension that exists between nature and man and how beautiful the rewilding and regeneration of nature can be. “There’s something inspiring about the way nature heals itself and how it can grow in the most unlikely of places” 📷 @stephaniequirkphotography The original painting is paired with a beautiful museum-grade walnut frame with custom walnut spacers by @avaframesmoab #naturereclaims #natureart #oldbuildings #austinartist #watercolorartist

Happy earth day! Turns out, I like long format reels just about as much as I enjoy slow art forms. It's not for everyone, but for those wanting to pause and take in these spring flowers, showers, and hummingbirds -- I hope you enjoy it :) Spring is so fleeting in Texas so I've tried my best to be intentional about slowing down between events and shows, restocks, and creative time -- to be outside and see the world come alive with the much needed rain and cooler weather before the long summer sets in. Those moments were brief, but I'm grateful I got them. #texasnature #springintexas #wildflowers #hummingbird

One of the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year was to slowly chip away at the many concepts, sketches and ideas that have been patiently waiting to be turned into finished works. This one was inspired about 14 years ago while I was in school pursuing a psychology degree, doodling in my notes and journals with no intention to evolve any of them. This is the largest watercolor I've done and it was definitely a challenge to execute. I had a very small window to create a handful of new works - just February through the end of March before spring events started. So, for the last two months I've locked myself in the studio for about 10-14 hours a day churning out as many pieces as I could and have finally emerged with 3 new block prints, one new miniature and this massive piece as well as the beginnings of a few others. I'll be posting the new pieces in a few weeks, and the story about this one, but until then - here's a process video. #watercolorartist #austinartist #naturereclaims #natureart