Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Parry.
Alyssa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was surrounded by artists on both sides of my family as I grew up. Both of my grandmothers are incredible artists.
My aunt, Donna Kearney, was a very accomplished artist in Ogden and painted masterpieces that I couldn’t comprehend. Her son, Sean Kearney, was also an out-of-this-world artist. Donna and Sean’s art studio was a dream that I still keep in my mind constantly. The walls were covered floor to ceiling with paintings in various stages of development and the ceiling was covered with hand-woven baskets full of any art supplies you could dream of.
In high school, my grandma started taking me to Donna’s house every weekend. We’d eat tacos and paint until the night was dark, our bellies were full, and we had a masterpiece in hand that we had created together. Sean, Donna, and Grandma were my mentors and became my best friends.
Sean passed away in 2018 and I couldn’t breathe knowing he was gone. Aunt Donna passed shortly after him. My world was shattered and I cried. A lot. The magic of art died in me too. I lost faith in creating and felt scared to create on my own. But sometimes something is so ingrained in you that you just can’t shake it off. I picked up a paintbrush 2 years later and never stopped. I started selling my art in 2020 and my work has been graciously accepted by the people of Utah and beyond.
I miss Sean and Donna. But I feel them with me when I create and even think they’re helping me through life and art as angels. Art will always be special to me because of the time and sacrifices that they, and my angel grandmother, put into me.
Now I am creating art as “full-time” as I can–with two little humans on my ankles at all times. So far only 1 painting has been destroyed by the babies. We can laugh about it now that a few months have passed. Now there is a baby lock on my door, and you can find me in the studio almost any day between 9 pm and 2 am.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. I constantly find myself with too many balls in the air, and I truly don’t know how to juggle. Finding the balance between work and family is hard, but then you break the business down into smaller parts and it’s hard to find a balance there too. You have to create the art, but you forget how much time you have to put into marketing, social media, finance, customer support, packaging, shipping, etc. It’s a lot to keep in order!
Riding the waves of physical and mental health are another challenge that I am grateful more people are shedding light on. Being self-employed is an uphill battle and a lot of things can challenge that. I’m grateful for a fabulous art community and an outstanding family that always support me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I LOVE. LOVE. LOVE… flowers. First off, I can’t believe these things come from dirt.. unreal!! Secondly, I believe flowers hold a lot of meaning. Flowers can represent a feeling, a person, or a memory. I love capturing these important emblems and meanings for people.
I am most proud of how my work has evolved over the past 10 years. Not only have I developed a style that feels cohesive with my heart, but I’ve overcome a lot of perfectionism. Instead of feeling stress and anxiety about every detail I am now able to find joy in the mistakes and surprises, which often turn into my favorite parts of every painting.
I hope that what sets me apart from others is the genuine love and care I put into each piece. I feel a piece of my heart and soul go into each piece and I hope that feeling is conveyed. Through each piece, I feel myself growing as an artist and as a human–no pun intended.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
If I could offer any advice for creatives or entrepreneurs out there…
On the hard days– learn. On the good days– live. Always be nice and patient with yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: Alyssaparry.com
- Instagram: @alyssaparryart
