Alison defines herself as a travel sketcher who does not want to spend her best years in an office. But she is savvy enough to know that as a creative you’ve got to be stealthy and find a way to sell. An artist needs to consider themselves as an enterprise; grow a thicker skin, get organised and be clever! Alison is frank and modest, yet confident in her capabilities and eager to give advice. 

Trying to pursue a creative career means a lot of risk taking, so it’s better to diversify your skillset and don’t put all your eggs in one basket… Begin with a spreadsheet, make a list, map your brain, asses your skills and look for a niche that you could successfully position yourself in. And remember to keep learning throughout life. There is always something to learn from a job or a life event, good or bad. It’s about putting our energy into what we believe in and then work twice as hard,  with no guaranties.

Alison’s rigorous mindset and self-organisation skills have resulted in two book commissions. The first book documents her travels in South America where she sketched, photographed and gathered material. She also includes personal stories of travellers from different backgrounds and various age groups. These fellow travellers reveal their lives and present interesting and different life paths. Her other book is focuses on food culture in Hong Kong, and depicts different cafes, bars and restaurants in that city.  Alison’s work is shaped by people she interacts with and is highly dictated by the environment she’s exposed to. This is no surprise when “travel doodler” is how she defines her work.

Photos by PILOTENKÜCHE International Art

Alison wishes to contribute to society in a positive way and she finds that encouraging people to pursue their dreams allows her to do so too. She says that there are other ways to go about life and give back to others. She wants to inspire people through her published books.  Her love for print is tightly connected with the concept of a public library. These institutions are accessible to general public and have existed for a long time. It’s a great platform to spread ideas and to inspire people.

Alison is eager to continue to be published and have her books in libraries, but it is not about personal glory or recognition. This work is based around a self-meditative practice that allows her to reach out to people and to motivate them to practice their own self-realisation. According to Alison, chasing the dream is the fun part and finding new original ways to keep it alive brings joy. Nobody wants to be stuck in a loop. It’s important to keep moving and trying says Alison.

Throughout her stay at PILOTENKÜCHE she wants to get to know more about Leipzig’s rich history in printmaking. Alison plans to investigate more traditional printing techniques and try her hand in the now oh! so trendy risograph printing. During the upcoming weeks you might find her around the city, sketching buildings and searching stories for her next project. Maybe her next book will include city landscapes of Leipzig or a story from a local resident!

written by Agnes

images supplied by artist

Alisons FB page and instagram.

Reset unsettling flesh layers / vernissage / PK at AHS

Friday, 15. November 2019
19:00 bis 22:00

Alte Handelsschule, Gießerstraße 75, Kleinzschocher, 04229 Leipzig, Deutschland

Overwhelmed incorporeal happiness / vernissage / PK RD41

Saturday, 14. December 2019
19:00 – 22:00

PILOTENKEUCHE, Franz-Flemming-Straße 9, 04179 Leipzig