Local Art Through The AMST Lens: Alexandria Canchola

Sep 29, 2020

 

Raul Colón & Alexandria Canchola
Through the AMST Lens

Each month we highlight a facet of the Art Museum of South Texas and introduce (or re-introduce) you to a local artist that works in the same medium, style, or theme. Keep reading to learn more about AMST, local art, and maybe discover your new favorite artist.

1. Raul Colón, Child of the Civil Rights Movement, 2010, watercolor, colored pencil and lithograph pencil on textured watercolor paper, on loan from National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas
2. Alexandria Canchola, I Sat, I Waited, gouache on paper illustration
Explore the Museum
Tall Tales and Huge Hearts: Raul Colón
Raul Colón, Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburg Pirates, 2005, watercolor, and color & lithograph pencils, on loan from National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas

 
One of AMST’s new traveling exhibitions this fall is: Tall Tales and Huge Hearts, an exhibition of original artwork from artist Raul Colón, which opened at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) in the fall of 2012. This exhibition features illustrations from eighteen different books, with subjects ranging from baseball to fantasy. Each colorful and layered illustration communicates moments of action in their respective story, showing the ability of art alone to tell an engaging story.

 

“I begin with textured watercolor paper, adding a watercolor wash of golden undertone. On top of that, I sketch the image and then add the middle tones. There are about 5 to 8 washes on top of each other. I then use color pencils to make the texture of the paper come out. I also use a scratchboard instrument appropriately called a “scratcher” to draw down through the layers.”

Raul Colón
Discussing his illustration process

See more of the exhibition:
Raul Colón, Alicia Alonso: Prima Ballerina, 2011, watercolor, colored pencil and lithograph pencil on textured watercolor paper, on loan from National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas

 
 
 

 
Local Connection
Alexandria Canchola
Alexandria Canchola is an illustrator, designer, and Assistant Professor for the Graphic Design program at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. Her vibrant illustrations capture humorous observed moments, autobiographical stories, and reimagine art history. In addition to her energetic works on paper, Canchola transforms our world into illustrations through room sized installations. The rooms are filled with cardboard replicas of every day items, which Canchola paints in the same style as her illustrations. In these rooms and in Canchola’s candy colored work, specific and familiar stories take shape. For those visitors that enjoy the immediacy of Raul Colón’s work, we encourage you to let Canchola lead you through the world from another unique perspective.

See More

 
         

 
1. Alexandria Canchola, In the Mood for Love, gouache on paper illustration
2. Alexandria Canchola, About Her, installation
3. Alexandria Canchola, How Yellow Behaves, installation
4. Alexandria Canchola, Don’t Call Me Girl, Lady, gouache on paper illustration
 

 
See More
Target Texas Catalogue
On top of her illustration and installation art, Alexandria Canchola works as a graphic designer. You can pick up a copy of one of her most recent projects, the Target Texas catalogue, in our AMST Gift Shop.

$4 AMST Members
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