Alyssa Carbonara
My name is Alyssa Carbonara and I am a Chicago based fine artist. Growing up I was an artistic child, always focused on creating and in awe of the different colors around me. When I was in high school I took multiple college level AP studio and sculpture art classes and won multiple awards. In my classes, I heavily focused on photo realistic figure and still life portraiture. After high school and my brief experience at a traditional four year university, I eventually ended up experiencing two different art schools in both Milwaukee and Chicago. As an avid equestrian and proud animal mom of an array of different critters, I kept my passion for animals and decided to make that the ultimate focus of my body of work. I worked as a freelance artist through my time in both schools doing commissioned photo realistic color renderings of various beloved pets. I was featured in a nationally known artist showcase in Milwaukee highlighting up and coming local artists as well as another local show. It was here in Chicago that I began my training as a traditional fine artist focusing on color realism. My studies in Chicago brought me a lot of traditional fine art training in a range of different mediums from graphite to charcoal, oil pastel to ink drawings, watercolor painting and beyond. Through the pandemic and a lot of soul searching, I decided to separate myself from school and make my personal art my sole focus. I took that time to train myself in classical oil painting and expanding on my watercolor painting knowledge that was opened up to me in my academic studies. I created a wide array of large scale oil paintings reflecting my love for the natural world and the vibrant colors that surround us in various creatures. During the summer of 2021 I decided to take on the journey of being an apprentice and, ultimately, a tattoo artist. It is now that I work to take my deep love for the flora and fauna surrounding us and forever immortalize it on the beauty that is the human body.
photo by Chuck Siwinski