Olivia Alexander: Two Sides

There are two sides to this artist: A serious side and a dry, humorous side which is frequently reflected in her art work. Colour, texture and design are the elements that she loves to employ.

- Olivia Alexander

I was born in London in 1961 but came to Australia in 1967 with my parents. I grew up in the ship building town of Whyalla in South Australia. I started art at the age of 15, and mainly drew animals and people portraits. I gained an A+ in Advanced Art through high school.

I worked as a horse trainer for many years, and also trained dogs as a hobby. I think this is where my passion for pet portraits comes from.

In 1987, my husband Ian and I moved to Albury in New South Wales – where we raised a family of four children. The art got put on hold for many years during this time, which is something I regret. But I did do the occasional backdrop for school plays which helped to ‘keep my hand in’.

About seven years ago I finally picked up a paint brush again, and I have been hard at it ever since.

After attending TAFE (Fine Arts) for a year, and working with various tutors (including two years in a drawing class under Janene Castillo), I am now constantly working at refining my skills and continuing to learn as much as I can.

I try to attend workshops and classes on a regular basis, as I believe this keeps me on my toes and helps me not to become stale. As artists, we never really stop learning … there’s always more!