Alex Waters

Work-Only Residency

Instagram: @alex_h2o

Alex Waters was born in 1987 in Albany, NY. He was raised to the west in Esperance, a sprawling and peaceful rural area that happened to be a short drive from the urban landscape he would capture later in life. Alex struggled early on with dyslexia. While a roadblock for some, Alex saw it as an opportunity to see the world from a strictly visual standpoint. In high school, he dabbled in multiple forms of media, including graphic design, before settling on painting in college. Alex attended Sage College of Albany and graduated in 2010. His official degree was a B.F.A in Studio Arts, but his concentration still showed his true passion: painting.

Alex has been influenced mostly by abstract artist William De Kooning (1904-1997), whose expressionism and use of color changed the face of what we call modern art after World War II. When asked why he is inspired by the concept of “action painting”, Alex can only say “I’m just a guy who paints how he feels.” Alex has been featured in live painting events held by The Albany Barn, Albany Center Gallery, Wine and Dine for the Arts, and Christ’s Church Albany. He’s donated multiple live painted pieces to keep these organizations growing and contributing to the Capital Region. His work has also been featured at The Fountain Arts Show and The World Trade Gallery, both in New York City, and he recently received the Creative Spirit Award from the Capital Region Arts Center.

Artist Statement

The process. The movement. The  contrast, and vibrant colors. Building layers and working from all angles, I try to make the painting become an active participant in its own creation as I add paint, alcohol and water basing my next drip, stroke, or color choice in response to emerging chaos. It is the documentation of my influence upon it and it on me. Let the art be the story.