Alexandra is a 25 year old artist from Barcelona. She’s a teacher of English, and Arts and Crafts, and she spends most of her time drawing, painting and writing.

When did you start doing art?

I have always loved drawing. It has been the way I communicate, and say what matters the most. When I was old enough to understand what University was, it was clear to me that I wanted to study Fine Arts in order to discover new techniques to help me to grow and improve my craft.

Do you have a style? How would you describe it?

I love mixing mediums; namely my illustrations with my words. I feel it’s the best way to engage with the world. I would define my style as oneiric and poetic, always with an important message to transmit. My art is addressed to a young audience – because they are the ones who can change and improve the world.

Who or what influences your artwork the most? Are there any topics/motifs you keep going back to?

I love digital painting. It is common to use this technique for concept art (films and video games) but I’m sure that in the future we will find this style exhibited in art galleries. Painting on the computer is just as difficult as in oil or watercolour. The difference is that instead of using brushes, you can have all the techniques within your graphics tablet, inside the program you use. One of the difficulties is to get your brushstroke to seem as alive as in a real picture.

Influentially speaking, I want to name Loish, a digital painting artist whom I admire for her hard work and her ability to reach a large audience. Style-wise, I find myself most influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, Surrealism, Japanese art and illustrations of children’s stories in general.

If I have to talk about the issues I touch upon through my work, I would reference the most intimate and dark feelings of human beings, the environment (and the struggle to dominate it or take care of it), and the coexistence of art with talent and muses.

How important is art in your life? Are there any other art forms you’re exploring or would like to?

For me, life without art is nothing. I feel empty if I can’t create. I always say that art is as important as love. I’m not good at music, but I love acting (I’m in a theatre company) and dancing. Right now, writing is my passion. I’m working on, and also illustrating, a graphic novel.

You work as an English teacher. How come? How is that part of your life in conflict or synchrony with you as an artist?

Well, I love children because they have the power of pure imagination. I’m always trying to bring out their creativity. In addition, working as a teacher gives me the security of a steady income, and enough time left over to dedicate myself to my art. This also gives me the freedom to refuse commissions that I prefer not to do, and I can choose to create my own ideas – without any kind of pressure.

You have an Etsy store. Are you able to earn from your art?

Yes, but it’s not enough to live only with my art. What I earn on Etsy is beneficial in that I use it to invest in my new projects and materials. Being able to live on my art alone would change my lifestyle, and I am not sure about it. I don’t want to become a kind of art machine… I love what I do and sometimes it scares me to think of art as my only job. I could burn my desire and inspiration. However, using the internet allows me to be known within the world, so I can send my messages to people. I want to move people, make them think, make them feel.

Tell us something about this particular collection.

Dreamlike delirium talks about the intense feelings that we all hide. It is important to bring out our deepest thoughts. I also talk about the fear of losing inspiration and the ability to create because the expression of feelings is closely linked to artistic outcry. All is explained through metaphors related to the natural world and fantasy tales.