Meet the Artist Alicia Bruce
Alicia Bruce joins the Group Art Show supporting A Walk On Water, showcasing her piece at Rockaway Beach Surf Club from Sept 4-9th. The artwork will also be up for online auction, with all proceeds benefiting the non-profit organization.
How did you get started as an artist?
I've been artsy for my entire life, but it was during the pandemic that I started painting more often. I didn't have my normal load of work as a professional photographer so I dedicated a lot of time to illustrating and painting just for fun. I started skating back in 2019 and felt like there was not much of a market for skate apparel for people like me - adult women with a love for color and retro vibes - so I started creating the art I wish existed. Then I broke my right shoulder when I fell doing a rock to fakie which really put me out of commission. For my mental health I spent weeks painting left handed until I finally had the use of my right arm back. By the time the pandemic was giving way to normal life again, my art and illustration had started taking off. I officially closed my photography business and went full time with art and illustration and have been loving it ever since.
How does spending time in nature, especially by the ocean, contribute to your mental well-being and creative process?
I don't live by the ocean anymore, but I should. I have one single tattoo, and it's a line drawing of a wave so the ocean can be with me anywhere I go. It's honestly my happy place, whether I'm on a boat, floating in the swells, or (badly) trying to get my surfing skills back. As long as I'm in or near the ocean my brain has all the serotonin it needs.
As an exhibiting artist at the 10th Annual Women's Surf Film Festival, what themes or messages do you aim to convey through your artwork?
That art can be joyful. As a photographer I used to feel like I was missing something because work that got attention or won awards always seemed to be deeply emotional, and that's just not my vibe. My aesthetic is joyful, colorful, and usually makes people happy. I think just general happiness can be celebrated and spread through art, so that's what I'm aiming to do.
How has Virginia influenced your artistic vision and connection to the surfing community?
Honestly, it hasn't. I admit that I complain about living too far from the ocean all the time (just ask my husband), so I have to find time to sneak away to the coast. That said, I grew up spending summers in Ocean City, NJ and have had the good fortune to connect with a couple of other women who skate and/or surf back in my home state. A lot of my artistic influence comes from that connection back to my summers in OCNJ learning to surf, buying my first surfboard, and the new friends I've made who share the same interests with me.
When you're not creating, what do you like to do for fun?
Oof, I don't know if I'm never not creating! ;) Typically you can find me traveling somewhere new, cruising around my neighborhood on my Carver, or napping with my dogs. And as soon as I've got the funds saved I'm hoping to get my pilot's license.
Where can we see more of your art?
I post often to Instagram (@thealiciabruce) and I've also got a website (www.thealiciabruce.com) where you can find links to my work all over the internet.
Links:www.thealiciabruce.com // www.instagram.com/thealiciabruce
