Alexis Winter

12 x 12 Artist Challenge

————

During 2020 I set myself the creative challenge of experimenting with 12 artistic mediums in 12 months. I am a compulsive creator, but I have a tendency to gravitate towards the same mediums. This challenge has been all about breaking away from artistic habits and expanding my skillset, with a focus on experimentation and exploration rather than mastery.

Over the course of the year I created over 200 different experiments, exploring; animation loops, posca paint pens, air drying clay, acrylic on canvas, coloured pencils, digital illustrations, collage, crayons, ballpoint pens, mixed media, assorted pens and printmaking. To see more of the different experiments from this challenge click here.

In January 2021 I was invited by Samy Baby be the first Artists in Residence at Studio Baby. I created a series of limited-edition illustrative flash designs, with Samy tattooing them during the month of January.

It was an absolute dream to collaborate with Samy and she captured the linework of my illustrations perfectly.

Tattoo Flash Illustrations by Alexis Winter

Tattoos and their photographs courtesy of Samy Baby

Artist In Residence Cover Design by Samy Baby

The Walking Magpie is a passive exercise and illustration project. Started during a time period of many lockdowns in Melbourne, I would document my daily walks, with the drawing of each walking being the perfect dangling carrot to get out of the house and accidentally exercise.

“Through this period of isolation and restriction, my daily walk has become one of the most treasured highlights of my day. Often to the park, the shop for groceries, or the post office; I walk past things I have seen countless times before, but with a new-found appreciation of their presence and the brightness they can bring to my day.”

The project is ongoing, now extending to any walk I go on. You can see more of this project here.

I collaborated with the WAGEC to create a bespoke illustration for their “We’re The Women” campaign. They are an organisation who support women and children who are fleeing domestic violence and are at risk of homelessness.

The illustration was to be a response to one of their themes. I chose “Creating a Sisterhood” The illustration was to be used across various physical brand collateral, most notably to

be sold as a limited-edition A2 giclee print and A3 posters during their

“We’re The Women” exhibition fundraiser.

The exhibition was a wonderful success, raising much needed funds for this vital organisation.

Photos by Sarah Spilsbury from WAGEC’s We’re the Women.

The Home Drawing Club was established in March of 2020 as a creative response to the first Melbourne lockdown. Each weekday of the school break (March 30th - April 10th 2020) I posted a drawing prompt which focussed on a different design element and principle.

The tasks were designed to be carried out at home and were made to keep people motivated and support wellbeing through a sense of virtual community while people were self-isolating. The tasks were designed as drawing tasks, however, were written in a way that would make them easily transferable to other art mediums and a wide range of abilities.

Resources and exemplars were provided each day to provide support and creative stimulation for those participating in the activities. The response to Home Drawing Club was overwhelmingly positive. Many people using it has an outlet and form of creative connection and reflection during the lockdown.

The Home Drawing Club was established in March of 2020 as a creative response to the first Melbourne lockdown. After the overwhelmingly positive response to Vol.1, Vol.2 was released with a new drawing prompt created for each weekday of the school holidays (21st of September – 2nd of October)

The focus for Vol.2 was seeking inspiration from famous still life paintings, and household items. Resources were provided each day to provide support and creative stimulation for those participating in the activities. In Vol.2 I also posted process videos to my YouTube of me carrying out the drawing prompts.

An Illustrative print created to celebrate the beautiful flora and fauna of Australia in the wake of the 2020 bushfires.

More than 480 million animals perished in the bush fires, and this print was sold to generate much needed support for WIRES and Wildlife Victoria.

The limited-edition print was sold through the month of January in 2020 with 100% of the proceeds being donated to WIRES and Wildlife Victoria.

Illustrated to champion the inspiring women who have had a massive impact on the world around us.

This postcard pack includes 10 postcards of amazing women with a little write up about them on the reverse side of the postcard. Perfect to send to friends, gift in a frame, or use as a set to enlighten others of these amazing women in so many different fields.

The amazing women featured in volume 1 are: Virginia Woolf, Tiera Fletcher, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Iris Apfel, Diane Arbus, Silvia Plath, Maija Isola, Helen Fisher, Simone Weil, and Mirka Mora

The mini monotone book club is an online book sharing club I started in December 2016. On the 1st of each month participants share mini monotone artworks of their favourite books to their Instagram accounts, accompanied by a brief explanation as to why they find it so endearing and using the hashtag #MiniMonotoneBookClub so others can find their recommendations.

The club was initially created as a an experiment for me to develop my copywriting skills and also refine my book cover designing with very specific restrictions. However, I realised that by opening the project up to the public and including people of any skill set to join in, the project could evolve from a single sided experiment to a broad online collective of artists and creators.

To see the different books people shared visit the #MiniMonotoneBookClub hashtag on instagram.

Image credit:

Image 1 and 2 - Alexis Winter 

Image 3 – Cameron Brideoake

Image 4 – Lori Hetteen

During October 2018 I illustrated a daily self-portrait and shared them with my partner. I liked the idea of making something that (for its duration) was shared only with him, and I was intrigued to see how this would impact how I illustrated myself.

Following that month, I shared these with my Instagram followers each day for the month of November. (The complete set can be seen on my instagram.)

Employed as sole illustrator for their 499 page book detailing specialty coffee in N.S.W, Australia.

The Speciality Coffee Book New South Wales required the creation of hundreds of different illustrations of varying scales including: typographic headings, typographic feature pages, icons and small symbols for venue themes, diagrams of coffee types and their caffeination content, infographics detailing how to use different coffee machines, infographics detailing how to make different coffee types, statistical graphics, and cover illustrations.

Since the publishing of the original guide, the illustrations have also been used in a Speciality Coffee Book as well as the re-print of The Speciality Coffee Book Victoria.

Limited edition t-shirt design in collaboration with Everpress for International Women’s Day. 

Everpress are a London based apparel company with a focus on design and sustainability.

Strength In Softness

For International Women’s Day I wanted to depict the immense strength that can be gained through being open and vulnerable with your friends. This is something that can be incredibly scary, but there is strength in being soft, in being open, in being you.

Exhibition of 16 illustrative works and a 70 page publication to celebrate my 30th birthday.

To celebrate my 30th birthday I had an exhibition “Just Boarded See You Soon” comprising of 16 illustrative works and 70 page publication comprising of the exhibition illustrations, personal anecdotes, photos and scanned mementos.

Show Statement: Growing up, half of my immediate family lived in Australia while the other half lived in Sweden. I was raised with a smattering of both cultures, and while the constant overseas travel afforded me many extraordinary experiences as a child, it also meant that I was eternally separated from half of my family. A constant loop of absence. Fortunately, I discovered quickly that the closeness between individuals is not measured geographically. ‘Just Boarded, See You Soon’ explores the coming together of my two worlds, and the strong impact both cultures have had on my life, development, and sense of self.

My own response to the “Real Australians Say Welcome” campaign, started by the designer Peter Drew. The goal of the campaign was the support immigrants and asylum seekers and make them feel welcome in Austrealia during a time period of growing unrest within the community. 

Due to the widespreaf attention my initial illustration received online I decied to turn it into brooches for sale, with the proceeds being donated to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. The handmade brooches were an unexpected hit. The first 450 were made by hand in less than two weeks, I then ceased manual construction and had an additional 500 enal pins manufactured of the same design.

A combined total of 950 pins sold within 2 months, raising $4,805.00 for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.

Due to the time-consuming nature of the project, this was not something that one person could realistically sustain long term, as such, the project was concluded after the initial 950 were sold. 

The book is a sentimental summary, created for my partner to celebrate our one year Anniversary.

“An Anthology Of Objects” is a collection of 51 illustrated objects that represent special moments from our past year together. The book was illustrated and designed by myself and professionally printed and perfect bound. Only two copies made.

An exploration of Repeat Patterns and how they could be used in different environments.

The full collection can be viewed on my instagram or through the hashtag #AWRepeatPatternProject.

Research Thesis Undertaken during my Honours year of Communication Design. 

The research project explored the intricate workings of the human brain, focussing on how meanings and messages are delivered to our subconscious through the use of colour in design. Colour is a highly personal and emotive device. “Colour and the Self” was the practical accompaniment to the thesis.  The book acts as a colour finding tool utilising personal and fictional stories to create colour palettes from a set structure.

Collaboration with ‘Plernters’ for limited edition porcelain planters.

——-

Ceramicist Bea Bellington collaborated with 6 different Australian female artists (myself included) to create limited edition (of 100) porcelain pot plants.