Alison Green shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Alison, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Right now, I’m preparing for a solo show in Santa Fe that will open on Oct 5th, so I’ve been busy making new work and preparing for that.
Like many artists, I have a full-time job to support myself so I make art in the evenings and on weekends. I work for the New Mexico Dept. of Cultural Affairs as an Educator driving a mobile museum (a huge RV) around the state, bringing a museum exhibit and hands-on art activities to rural and tribal communities.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My art studio is located at Second Street Studios in Santa Fe where I create paintings – primarily botanical abstractions – utilizing various techniques in encaustic, oils, cold wax, drawing, and mixed media. I care about the environment, biodiversity, wilderness, and the interconnectivity of all living things. Plants, animals, trees, and natural forms have long served as symbols and archetypes in the human imagination. My creative work strives to share the concept of Biophilia, the innate human love of nature, as described by biologist E.O. Wilson. I have a deep appreciation for the transformative and healing power of both nature and art.
For the last few years, I lived and worked in Springdale Utah, the town at the entrance to Zion National Park. I was one of the Artists in Residence in the park in the fall of 2023. For the previous twenty years I taught Drawing and Painting at Albuquerque Academy, a leading college preparatory school. In addition to classroom teaching, I led students on multi-day wilderness art making trips in the desert Southwest. I have also taught Outdoor Experiential Education and worked as an Art Therapist in schools.
My entire career (both my art and my day job) has focused on the necessary connection between Nature, wilderness, the environment, and human wellness. It is no surprise that many people’s greatest experiences of awe and peak joy occur out in the natural world. My art explores the elegant interconnectivity of living things and I am intrigued by the poetic middle ground between representation and abstraction, as that is where the mystery lies.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I have a strong memory from when I was in third grade living in North Vancouver, British Columbia, walking to school alone through a rainforest. My mom dressed me in a yellow slicker and rain boots and off I went, alone, through deep trees and no people. I remember walking across a river on a mossy wooden bridge where I imagined a scary Billy Goat Gruff lived underneath. I had to get my courage up and run across fast, before he could wake up and confront me. I felt powerful doing that walk every day.
Also, as a teenager I attended a cool hippie nature-based camp in the Alberta mountains called “Earth Ways” where one of the things we did was a three day “Solo” out in the woods, sitting under a tarp by ourselves with just a journal, pencils and some nature-based poetry and prose by Thoreau and other Romantics and environmentalists. This profound experience made me feel powerful and I felt deeply connected to the earth. Only many years later did I realize how significant of an initiatory experience that was.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
As a kid I had big feelings and was often very expressive, excitable and sometimes emotional. My mom and my siblings were not like that at all, so I sometimes felt that I was wrong for being that way. I was given the message that I should just be quieter, easier, less intense.
If I could go back and say one kind thing to my younger self, I would say that my big feelings, sensitivity, and expressiveness is actually just part of my superpower. Even though it’s hard at times, it’s better to be passionate and excited and feel everything than to be a steady ‘flat-liner’ who doesn’t feel much. I would tell my young self that being the way I am is a gift, and it will feed my creativity in the years ahead.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
When I asked one of my closest friends who knows me very well, this was her response:
“Mostly what I think is that you really strive to get everything out of your life, even when it’s difficult or challenging! You don’t just mark time; you move toward and into new experiences that are available to you rather than freezing up to minimize change or avoid your feelings about what is really going on. And that is a difficult discipline that most people avoid. You’re capable of brutal honesty about what life is giving you, combined with a willingness to jump off of cliffs if that seems necessary to move toward what your heart desires and your soul craves.”
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I have always followed my own path in life. I’m fortunate that I had parents who encouraged me to think for myself from a young age. In the 1970’s my mom became a Feminist, and I remember her and I making signs to go to a big Pro Choice rally in my home town. She was a strong woman and she encouraged me to follow my interests and passions and be independent. It has not always been easy being a creative artist, especially financially, but I am living my own authentic life as an artist here in beautiful Santa Fe. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alisongreenartist.com/
- Instagram: @alisongreenartist
Image Credits
Robb Reece
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