2019-07-01_Country_Homes_Interiors

countryhomes &interiors

partnership

AlexandraGallagheris partof

theRunwayGallery,anonline

showcaseofcontemporaryart.

FromherhomeinLancashire,

shecombinesoilpaintsand

digitalprintingtocreateexotic,

decorativeworks.Here,shetells

usabouttheinspirationforher

latestseries,theexuberant and

surrealBirds with Birds.

tellusaboutyourbackground

inart.I startedoutasa portrait

artistbut, 10 yearsago,I began

exploringotherstyles.I hadsmall

children— mydaughterwasonly

abouttwoorthree— andI started

takingphotosofherandmaking

collagesfromthem.Recently,I’ve

developedtheBirdswithBirds

series,whichgrewoutofa wedding

presentcommission.I wasaskedto

createa piecefora friend,butthen

thecreativeprocessseemedto

click,andI wantedtotakeit further.

howwouldyoudescribeyour

style?I loverichcoloursand

vibrant,exoticmotifs.I work

digitally,arranginganintricatemix

of photos and vintage images, then

LushbLoomsandsoaringbirdstakecentrestage

inartistaLexandragaLLagher’sdecorative

works, avaiLabLe at runway-gaLLery.com

Buy art online

movingthemaroundintuitively

untilI arriveatanimagethatfeels

right.I neverplana piece– when

I do,it doesn’twork!I’lltrya bit

ofthis,a bitofthatand,allof

a sudden,it startstotella story.

Thenextstageintheprocessis to

taketheroughimageandtransfer

it ontoa canvas.I squareit upand

sketchit out.If it’sa mixed-media

piece,I’llgetcertainelementsofthe

imageprintedandpaintinallthe

otherdetails,usuallywithoil paints.

Wheredoyoulookfor

inspiration?I lovedesignand

fashionandI thinkthat’swhymy

piecesattractinteriordesigners.

ButI’malsointerestedinwomen’s

experiencesofgrowingupin

Westernsociety– thegoodand

thebad.Partofit is myownhistory,

butI don’twanttobeoneofthose

artistswhoputstheirwholelife

storyupthere.ThepainterJenny

Savilleis a creativeinfluence.Her

worksareveryempoweringinthe

waytheypresentthefemaleform.

howwouldyoudisplayyour

worksina countryhome?

Although I love colour, my palette

is quietelegantandsubdued,

whichworkswellina period

property.Thepaintingsarelush

anddecorative,andwouldprovide

sucha beautifulfocalpointabove

a fireplace or in a bedroom.

alexandraGallagher’s

workis availabletopurchase

from runway-gallery.com

Next moNth

Discovertheshimmering,sensual

artworksofLouiseDear,who

countsRickSteinandSirElton

John among her famous fans.

Blue Birds

, £250;

Flamingo Flowers

, £250, BoTH AlexAndRA GAllAGHeR