I recently spoke with Mississippi Delta artist Christina Alford about her painting style, her technique, and more. Here’s what she had to say:
- Have you had any formal art training or are you self-taught? How long have you been painting?
Alford replied that she is self-taught and that she has been painting for about 5½ years.
- What artists influence your painting style?
Alford stated that there were a few artists who influenced her, saying “One of those was Bob Ross. He just seemed like he was one of the nicest human beings on the planet, and I just started watching him when I was 15. He is probably the biggest reason that I started painting landscapes, along with living in Mississippi.”’ She cited Iris Scott as being another influence, saying, “I just love her colors.” Lastly, she said, ‘There’s another artist, Andrew Tischler, who’s from New Zealand. I have always loved his work. He’s really the polar opposite of the other two because he deals a lot with Realism.”
- I understand that you do not use a brush; you paint with your fingers. What led to you using that technique?
“As I mentioned earlier, I am self-taught, so I would pick up a book or watch a YouTube video. In one of the videos, I saw a woman painting with her fingers and it was one of those ‘light bulb moments.’,” replied Alford. Alford did indicate that she wears gloves when she paints, so that the chemicals in the paint do not get absorbed through her skin.
- What medium do you use?
Alford indicated that she works exclusively in oil paint.
- What style do you work in?
Alford stated, “I would say Impressionism, with a touch of Realism.”
Bonus: Tell us something about you that nobody knows.
Alford said. “I love to read, especially books about Psychology. I am fascinated about why we think the way that we do and why we make the decisions that we make. I have a whole pile of books about psychology at home.” Alford continued, “Another thing is that, from the time that I was a little kid, I was a hustler. I had all of these side gigs. When I was 14, I started making these wreaths, using burlap as a base, and gluing all kind of stuff, like Christmas ornaments, adding lettering done in Calligraphy, and then selling them.
Alford is also a singer-songwriter. Her debut EP is scheduled to drop in October. Here’s a sneak peak of the single, “Ours.”
An exhibit of Alford’s latest work will open with a reception on Thursday, September 7th, from 5:30pm-7:00pm, at the Rosenzweig Arts Center (501 Mian Street, Columbus). The exhibit will be on display through September.