Wanderfox is comprised of Allison (Nickens) Welch, an artist based in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She earned her BFA in Studio Art from James Madison University in 2015, with a concentration in painting and drawing. After graduation, she pioneered Paint Nite in Harrisonburg with great success, selling out nearly every event she hosted. Paint Nite provided the flexibility that she needed to begin live painting and showcasing her artwork at music festivals and art markets. Throughout this time she took every opportunity she could to expand her artistic offerings and develop her pop up displays. These experiences informed a great deal of personal and professional development, but eventually she realized her efforts came at a cost.
While many people experienced a surge or creativity due to the onset of COVID lockdowns, Allison found herself unable to do anything but rest. The uncertainty of the pandemic brought on a lot of soul searching. COVID stood in the way of her old lifestyle and she suddenly had the freedom to do whatever she wanted... but what did she actually want? So much of her art making process had become tainted by her idea of what people will buy, and despite her efforts to be authentic to her own vision, it was no longer emotionally fulfilling. She decided to take a hiatus from creating art in hopes that she could find a new way to support herself that wouldn't come at the cost of her artistic energy.
After trying on a couple new hats for a few years, each relying less and less on her creative ability, the desire to make art started to burn again. Instead of picking up her favorite brushes, she was reaching for charcoal and investing in an iPad. Suddenly art was cathartic again. While it doesn't flow as fast or look like it used to, it is so much more aligned with her raw artistic vision and philosophy. As scary as it was to break her self-imposed mold, this new era of work dives even deeper into her mind and the experiences that shaped who she is today.
While many people experienced a surge or creativity due to the onset of COVID lockdowns, Allison found herself unable to do anything but rest. The uncertainty of the pandemic brought on a lot of soul searching. COVID stood in the way of her old lifestyle and she suddenly had the freedom to do whatever she wanted... but what did she actually want? So much of her art making process had become tainted by her idea of what people will buy, and despite her efforts to be authentic to her own vision, it was no longer emotionally fulfilling. She decided to take a hiatus from creating art in hopes that she could find a new way to support herself that wouldn't come at the cost of her artistic energy.
After trying on a couple new hats for a few years, each relying less and less on her creative ability, the desire to make art started to burn again. Instead of picking up her favorite brushes, she was reaching for charcoal and investing in an iPad. Suddenly art was cathartic again. While it doesn't flow as fast or look like it used to, it is so much more aligned with her raw artistic vision and philosophy. As scary as it was to break her self-imposed mold, this new era of work dives even deeper into her mind and the experiences that shaped who she is today.
"...the receiver of a true artistic impression is so united to the artist that he feels as if the work were his own and not someone else’s,—as if what it expresses were just what he had long been wishing to express. A real work of art destroys, in the consciousness of the receiver, the separation between himself and the artist, nor that alone, but also between himself and all whose minds receive this work of art. In this freeing of our personality from its separation and isolation, in this uniting of it with others, lies the chief characteristic and the great attractive force of art." - Leo Tolstoy, What is Art?