After just over a year of pursuing art full-time, local painter Allison James has already made a name for 
herself in the local creative scene — and garnered coveted representation by Caroline Nix Gallery. How’d she do it? She’ll be the first to tell you: it was hard, hard work.
A native of Perry, Georgia, James moved to Atlanta five years ago with retail and styling ambitions. These days, she and her husband Brandon reside on Atlanta’s Westside, where she works as both a full-time artist and part-time visual team member for an interior decorating retail company.
Below, we chat with the prolific artist about her artistic evolution, how teachers shaped her career, and the misconceptions surrounding full-time artists.
CommonCreativ: How did you end up in Atlanta?
Allison James: I moved here in May of 2013 to open the first BHLDN flagship store for Anthropologie in the Southeast (scouted by my fabulous friend Becky Hillis.) I also was a full-time bridal stylist with BHLDN for close to a year, eventually moving over to Anthropologie and climbing up the ladder within the company over 2-and-a-half years. I left Anthropologie in September of 2017 to pursue art full-time.
CC: What first sparked your interest in art?
AJ: I’ve been drawing since I could walk, always having a crayon in my hand and a coloring book or notepad nearby. My parents are creatives, and my family is full of strong women and entrepreneurs. It’s quite literally in my blood to be doing what I’m doing!
CC: How would you describe your artistic evolution from starting out to now?
AJ: I’ve always been a people-pleaser and timid with my opinions. I can be too nice. But over this past year, I’ve really worked on tuning out the negative and focusing solely on growing my art career — expanding my style, not holding back in the studio. I’m not one of those artists who can paint the same thing for five years just because it sells. In the words of Anne Irwin, “at that point you aren’t making art, you’re making a product.” I am always hungry to explore ‘the new’ and listen to my creative instincts. If you aren’t evolving, experimenting, and a little bit nervous and excited every day in the studio, are you really an artist?
CC: How did you decide to attend Georgia Southern?
Allison James // Photo by Tatum Lewis
AJ: I actually didn’t apply to GSU until April of 2008, the week of the deadline. I was hell-bent on staying at home for a year until I could figure out my path. But I got into GSU a few weeks later, studied over the summer and for the next five years, and never looked back. I loved that it was so close to Savannah (SCAD was my dream school). [My professors] were so inspiring and so talented. I feel like the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art program at GSU is one of the biggest hidden gems in the Georgia collegiate systems.
CC: You’ve been awarded numerous scholarships — tell me about your academic highlights.
AJ: I was kind of an art pioneer at my high school. But it’s all because of my art teacher, Mrs. Heller. She was with me in elementary school and moved up to the high school the same year I was a freshman, so she knew my skill set really well. She is a graduate of SCAD and really believed in her students. She campaigned to have an AP Art class for the school. I was a part of that first group and got a taste of what college curriculum felt like, and I was able to flourish. It was through that program I won multiple scholarships and held HOPE and the Pell grant my entire college education. I have Mrs. Heller to thank for that. It’s amazing what the right teacher and a little push can do for a student.
CC: How would you describe the aesthetic of your work in one sentence?
AJ: Energetic marks balanced with harmonious color theory and well-thought-out compositions.
CC: What inspires your pieces?
AJ: Believe it or not, each of my paintings is a self-portrait. I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression from the age of 4, and I think only those who have experienced these conditions themselves can attest to the strife it puts you through. It’s been such a rollercoaster, and I try to be candid about my anxiety. So many people suffer from mental illness but are shamed into not speaking up, not helping one another. But I decided to not let these things negatively dictate my work but rather inspire it.
I use bright, happy colors because that’s who I am as a person. I narrate my compositions with negative space and a touch of black in each piece because there is a lightness and dark to all of us. I have this Rolodex of secret symbols that pop up in all of my work. I’ve created my own language and love hearing people translate what they see. On the other hand, besides myself, I’m inspired stylistically by Rothko, Rauschenberg, street art and graffiti, nature, patterns, runway fashion, interior design, and my husband Brandon.
CC: What does the creative process look like for you?
AJ: Brandon and I hand-select wood and hand-build all of my surfaces (besides canvas) in our workshop — AKA our garage. Sanding, priming, thinking, painting, staring, painting, staring, sitting, painting, varnishing, wiring, photographing — there are so many steps!
The painting portion requires a lot of layers and I never sketch a painting beforehand. I find [when] I get too caught up in making it look like the sketch that the creative process is totally stripped away. I start with an idea and bring it to life. I embrace the changes that happen in the moment. You have to go with the flow or you’ll never paint what needs to be painted.
CC: You began creating large-format paintings for Georgia’s established interior designers and personal clients — how did you make these connections?
AJ: Word of mouth, 100%. The more you put yourself out there and make those connections, the easier your career will be. People like to invest in the artist exponentially more if they meet you in person, and like you and what you do. Instagram has also been a great resource, and I know a lot of my contemporaries can attest to that. But it’s all about marketing yourself, being smart about who you align yourself with and, at the end of the day, making really great art that designers are proud to make a part of their spaces. The relationships with the designers that use my work are something I cherish the most as an artist.
CC: How did you come to be represented by Caroline Nix Gallery?
AJ: Caroline scouted me and reached out via email. She saw my work on Instagram and we’ve been working together for a little over a year now. She is a phenomenal person and businesswoman. I feel very lucky to be working with her.
CC: What does being a working artist look like for you?
AJ: I am a full-time artist, part-time visual team member for Ballard Designs. There is this stigma that artists feel ashamed for having a side hustle because it diminishes their persona of being a ‘true artist,’ which is terrible! So many world-renowned artists had other gigs because the bills have to get paid. I paint 40 hours a week, work part-time 15 hours a week, have dinner (sometimes lunch and breakfast) made every evening, my house is spotless, and my dog and husband are happy! I work my ass off, but I love it and know this hustle of mine won’t be forever. One day I’ll be able to slow down a bit. But being a full-time artist is not glamorous, it’s not fun. You should be drinking more coffee than water, networking like it’s your job, and painting until your hands hurt.
CC: What do you wish more people knew about this career path?
AJ: There are so many layers to being an artist that people don’t see — marketing yourself, researching social media strategies, delivering to local clients, consulting for commissions, hours sending emails back and forth for said commissions, blindly sending work to designers hoping they might want to work with you, the time to make that work, thoughtful thank you notes to go with that work, wiring, perfecting, applying to shows, photographing work, creating a compelling website, keeping your website up to date, making collections to post on said website, creating an email list, keeping that list engaged, planning releases, shipping, buying packing supplies, blocking out days to securing wrap, label, and ship everything… I could keep going.
On top of all of this, you still have to make great artwork that people respect and want to buy, all while speaking your truth and painting from the heart. Now does this still sound like fun?! It has its fun moments of course. But at the end of the day, it’s still a job and requires a lot of work. So please, don’t forget that!
CC: What have been some of your greatest personal achievements as an artist?
AJ: How much I’ve accomplished being on the scene this first year. Being represented by two respected galleries (Caroline Nix and Anne Irwin Fine Art). Partaking in multiple shows with Atlanta galleries (Anne Irwin’s Annual Emerging Artist show, the Summer Showcase with Buckhead Art & Co., and Infinity at Kai Lin Art). My happy clients through Caroline Nix and Maggie Griffin.
The connections I’ve made. The impact my artwork has on people and the collectors who keep coming back with every new release I do. These things just are the beginning of why I love what I do!
CC: How do you effectively promote your work?
AJ: Hours and hours and hours of research. Email marketing and Instagram are my biggest saviors. Plus, lots of business cards and handshakes. Sometimes a hug.
CC: What advice do you have for artists looking to develop their own style?
AJ: I would say that they need to ask themselves what drives them to create, to keep their head down and look within because no one likes a copycat. And to just start painting. Or drawing, Whatever it may be. My friend and artist Blayne Macauley says every artist has about 100 pieces they must create before their style truly shows. So, get to work! There is some style within each artist that they innately have, you just have to paint a lot of pieces to see it shine through.
CC: What do you think about the current state of Atlanta’s art scene?
AJ: That’s a tricky question. On the one hand, I think it’s extremely over-saturated with recent self-made artists popping up left and right. Atlanta is becoming a notable art hub for the country so I understand the buzz and people wanting to jump on board. I can only hope they take the time to [home] in on their craft and creativity to give their work the TLC it deserves.
On the other hand, it’s hard not to be inspired in a city like this! I think people are really finding the courage to claim art as something they can do. But again, it’s not a cake walk. I’m curious to see who will still be around five years from now.
Photo by Tatum Lewis
CC: Do you have any exciting new projects in the works?
AJ: Always. I have an earring collaboration with Perry-based jewelry brand SoulPepper Designs, launching December 7th in my shop — all hand-painted by me. I also have a collection release with Caroline Nix on November 4th for their holiday event and an art gala benefiting the BeltLine. Plus, a holiday marketplace in Perry, Georgia, November 16-18 where I’ll be selling one-of-a-kind pillows, ornaments, artwork, and more. And next spring I’ll be doing a pop-up with a few notable artists which I’m really excited about as well. Stay tuned!
CC: Lastly, why do you create?
AJ: I create because I believe it is what I was made to do. I’m happiest when I’m in my studio. Painting makes me tune into myself. It’s eye-opening, therapeutic… it’s my church. I create because I have a lot to say and I find putting them on a surface if the easiest way for me to share my voice. Without even realizing it, we try really hard to become numb to everything around us. Painting is something that sends a spark through me and it never gets old. I never get tired of it. I think for anyone, when you find something you love every single day, that’s how you know you’re onto something good.
See more of Allison’s work on her portfolio site and Instagram.
