By: Chiara Accardi

The art of the present era is dynamic and ever-changing, and artists are continually introducing new ideas to the art world. Today, while figure art remains prevalent, it seems that traditional techniques have been lost in the contemporary art world. We would like to introduce Alicia Hobbs, a Los Angeles-based artist whose figures combine traditional and contemporary techniques, and whose art currently has the art world captivated. 

Alicia is set to showcase her “Nudies” series in early August. This collection will be a strong reflection of the female figure with Alicia’s unique touch on light and color. Today, we are so excited to have the privilege of speaking with Alicia about her life as an artist and about her upcoming series. 

Your upcoming “Nudies” series is causing quite a stir. Could you please share the story behind this collection and how it is different from the ones that you created before?

Yes, that is what they are excellent at! This series was born during the pandemic lockdown when many people were turning to social media for communication and entertainment purposes. I wanted to contribute something fun and silly to the world’s collective case of cabin fever and knew I could do so through my art. I doubled down and put in the overtime creative hours because let’s be honest, being locked away in a house with art supplies is every artist’s dream. 

And then the Nudies were born. Turns out that forcing my creative side, business brain, and entrepreneurial spirit all in a room together for a couple of months can work wonders. I created a series of 30 nudies during this time, and out of sheer boredom, I began writing silly backstories for each nudie in an attempt to entertain myself. These backstories also became solid entertainment for my social media followers, and to my surprise, someone could always relate to whichever random story I came up with that day. 

Since then, I have continued to revisit this series, with each collection turning out slightly different than the last. As my style and color palette have evolved, the nudies have too. Previously, I focused primarily on light, color, and shadow to create more abstract figures. Now, I am focusing more on creating anatomically correct figures, blending the colors more, and using depth and geometrical shapes to explore new compositions. Each nudie will still have a silly backstory, and will now come framed in a handmade wooden floater frame. 

There will be 50 nudies, ranging from 5×7” to 12×16”,  available on my website, aliciahobbs.com on August 8 at 9:00 am PST. 

How do you envision your work contributing to and advancing contemporary art, specifically figure art, in the art world?

I’m no Michelangelo, but I do like to think that my colorful figures are helping modernize the traditional figure painting style, while also still keeping an aspect of realism alive. In the contemporary art world today, traditional painting styles and realism are pretty rare, and dare I say under-appreciated. I take pride in combining the traditional with more modern-day techniques. While my figures may be more realistic anatomically, there is a large chance they will also have hot pink or bright orange shadows and highlights. Or lime green hair. If I could phone a friend, I’d phone Michelangelo to hear his hot take on this. 

You have been published in various popular magazines and participated in Art Basel. In what way has this recognition affected you as an artist and the way you approach your art?

Isn’t that crazy? It has definitely been surreal reading articles about my work and participating in so many avenues I only once dreamed about. And while the recognition has helped open so many doors and the opportunities have helped catapult me forward, it has been eye-opening and a bit of a shock to witness the new mountains uncovered. 

In order to allow my art to safely evolve, I have had to carefully curate an entirely new set of tools. And as my audience has grown, it has forced me to grow right alongside them. I’ve learned how to navigate avoiding burnout, witnessed the fruits of good planning, realized the importance of genuine relationships, and my time management skills have now entered into a league of their own. I’ve learned to celebrate the wins and to celebrate the losses even harder. Especially the losses. And while every day may involve putting out a new fire or five, I’ve fortunately learned how to gracefully use a fire extinguisher. 

The art industry is not always easy to deal with. What do you suggest to young artists who are eager to become new artists?

If the art industry was a game of dodgeball, each ball would be a different scam hurled at you by an Olympic hammer thrower. Yes, show up for your art every day and find your groove, but more importantly, find trustworthy people to stick with you and support you on your art journey. A career in art truly is a team sport and I would not be where I am in my career without the teammates I have joined forces with along the way. Find mentors, other artists you can create with or have shows with, friends who genuinely cheer you on – and be all of these things for others too. 

And for your overfilled junk closet and finance’s sake, always hang what you think are your worst pieces, even if you have to stand in front of it silently cringing. What I have thought are my worst pieces have almost always been amongst the first to sell. Like the old saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Alicia’s “Nudies” series is set to launch on August 8 at 9:00 am PST on her website, aliciahobbs.com. 

Published by: Khy Talara