Alisa Shea works exclusively in watercolor photorealism. “I take a medium known for its softness and unpredictability and push it to its outermost limits of saturation and control,” says the artist.
Marked, watercolor, 20 x 22"
Shea is particularly interested in producing work that speaks to issues of women’s rights and gender inequality. “I have grown increasingly angry as I’ve watched the pandemic and the current political environment in the United States exacerbate the problems that women face, and I am routinely frustrated by the underrepresentation of women in the arts both broadly and more specifically within my chosen medium,” she says.
Cat Amongst the Pigeons, watercolor, 18½ x 18"
Her piece A Feminine Touch pays homage to the strength of women. Underneath the carefully-crafted facade lies a readiness to fight for equality, safety, dignity and respect. “Marked is my response to the historic overturning of Roe and the pervasiveness of misogyny in current culture,” Shea shares, “Whether it’s the U.S. Supreme Court or the morality police in Iran—different battle, same fight—women are at the center of the target.”
Cat Amongst the Pigeons was inspired by the British idiom and reflects the artist’s personal reaction to recent political events. “Rather than sit by idly, it is my hope that individuals will act as metaphorical cats by speaking out and making ‘good trouble’, as described by the late Representative John Lewis,” says Shea. “Good trouble, necessary trouble—it’s not only okay, but necessary to enact and inspire meaningful change.”
A Feminine Touch, watercolor, 14 x 20”
Shea’s piece Marked is currently featured in the Transparent Watercolor Society of America’s 48th Annual National Exhibition at the Kenosha Public Museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin, through August 4. —
Want to See More?
www.alisashea.com
Facebook: /alisasheawatercolor
Instagram: @alisa_shea
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