Bio
My name is Alana Halliday. I am a twenty-six-year-old, bisexual, emerging artist based in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2020, I graduated from MacEwan University with a Bachelor of Sociology. Currently, I work as a full-time legal assistant and a part-time artist. I specialize in the creation of detailed portraits through black ink in a pointillist style, and use other assorted mediums to add coloured accents to my pieces.
Nail polish and watercolour are two of my favourite accent materials. Stylistically, I like to utilize simplistic, muted neutrals and subtle shading techniques. The primary aim of my work is to successfully use intricate, small details to create much bigger pictures. I have been working at mastering painting and drawing for over ten years, but have only recently started to show my work on a public scale. I grew up in very conservative surroundings while also holding close, personal ties to the LGBTQ+ community. These two experiences have closely intertwined to give me an immensely sensitive view of the human body and experience, which serves as the primary motivation for my work. I want the humans I draw to be portrayed and understood as large wholes, specifically made up of countless intricate pieces.
Resilience
I admittedly have limited large-scale art experience, but I have been painting and drawing for countless years. I have extensive experience exhibiting my work in several public, professional settings. My work is very detail-oriented, but to comply with tight time constraints, I work heavily with decals (and have a reliable provider that creates environmentally friendly outdoor decals) to fit all required installation time frames.
I want to use my piece “Just Hands” as a starting place for my submission for the Resilience Art Project. In light of the incredibly trying circumstances that have unfolded over the last couple of years, humans have had to be there for each other in a way unique to the current climate. My piece, Just Hands, exhibits the importance of being there for each other, regardless of sexual orientation, race and/or age, and the importance of gifting support to those around us.