Artist Inspiration: Alyssa Monks

Alyssa Monks is exactly what I'm looking for. In an inspiration, that is. A young, dedicated and super-realistic contemporary artist, Monks lives in Brooklyn and creates enormous oil paintings dedicated to observing the intricacies of water/oil/other liquids on skin.

Detail of Raw 2008, 48x64, oil on linen
From the tiny highlights on the strands of hair to the blending of the lips into the rest of the face, this close-up is one of the reasons I
fell in love with Monks's work. 

One of the things that I admire most about Monks's work is her dedication to her personal vision. She has not wavered over the years with the subjects she desires to paint, and though that can sometimes be seen as a fault in the art world, she explores new ideas and concepts with every new piece.
She captures that moment in the shower, which everyone can relate to, when you feel the water envelop your skin in a coating of warmth. The intimate subject matter, as well as the fact that she paints mostly women, is a juxtaposition of Old Masters and pop art. And though she would be considered a realistic contemporary artist, Monks retains that all-important painterly effect in delicate contrasts of water and skin,  as demonstrated in the above detail of her 2008 painting, Raw. When looking at the painting as a whole, though, the dabs of paint transform into a complex and beautiful image, which is indicative not only of her training and patience, but of a flash back to Renaissance painters, such as Albrecht Durer.
So what are Monks's words of advice for artists? She recently wrote on her facebook page:

Lose your edges, put down the photo, paint from your gut, let go of the idea of perfect....allow you own internal, visceral, subconscious or spiritual (or whatever you want to call it) VOICE - allow that to come through ...you must look at and respond to the paint, not the photograph.

Below are a few other works, including one of only a few male portraits that she has painted. Her newest paintings include painting subjects that are submerged in oil and water. Something that not many artists have thought of, which again, leads to her signature style and her masterful painting of liquids against skin.

Pause 2009, 16x24, oil on panel
Besides the fact that this guy is attractive and in a shower, the "painterly" effect really shows through here, which is why it makes a delicately beautiful
piece. One of her many talents in portraying 'wet people' is to grab that moment of peace and tranquility. 

Squid 48x32, oil on linen, 2011
I could easily stare at this for hours...from the bottom left almost Impressionistic interpretation of water, to the
effortless study of strands of hair in oil and water. This is one of her newest works, and the beginning of
her studying oil and water. 

You can find her website here, and a link to her facebook page here. She is currently exhibiting here, at Sarah Bain Gallery in Brea, CA from November 12 - December 2 in a show featuring small works.