ALANNA PETERS
In the very early days of ARTSTINKS™ — before we had a logo, a website, or a single dollar in our bank account — we went to the First Friday Art Walk in Denver's Santa Fe Arts District.
It was around dinnertime, and we decided to pop into one last gallery before finding something to eat. The first painting we saw was Suspended by Alanna Peters. We stood in front of it for a few long, silent minutes.
"This is what I want hanging in our living room one day," Duke said. Kakes agreed.
Alanna herself was at the gallery, but both of us were so wowed by her work that we felt...I don't know — silly? presumptuous? — asking her about the ARTSTINKS™ idea.
In the months that followed, Alanna and Suspended became our north star as we developed the ARTSTINKS™ idea into a fledgling company. When we were finally ready, we reached out to ask Alanna whether she had any interest in partnering, and to our surprise and delight she said yes. We feel so lucky to feature her art in our debut lineup.
Of her own work, Alanna says:
"I explore the interaction between abstract qualities of the environment and the detailed realism of the figure. Inspired by the idea of impermanence, I strive to freeze fleeting moments and create stillness within the constant change and noise of life. My work reminds the viewer of the importance of being present, to find peace in the chaos.
My work often incorporates the female form in water. I use oil paint on aluminum panels, with a focus on light and movement and the ways in which these elements distort and interact with the human body. I capture polarities, such as intricate details of the figure in lace or floral garments contrasting the reflective, metaphysical qualities of the water. I strive to capture weightlessness and reflection through illusions of transparency.
I am fascinated with the figure and the shared beauty of our humanity. My paintings are about the human connection, to each other and to the world around us.
I was born in Ottawa and currently splits my time between Toronto, Canada and Denver, USA. I earned an Honours BA for Fine Arts from McMaster University (2001) and a BEd for Arts Based Learning from Queen's University (2005)."
