At 25 years old, Ewing-based artist Alexandra Pietsch recognizes she is just beginning her art career and finding her way — despite working as a graphic designer and winning an award at the current Ellarslie Open at the Trenton City Museum, aka the Ellarslie Mansion.
“I have always enjoyed using traditional artists’ mediums such as charcoal, colored pencil, chalk pastel, and watercolor,” the Moore College graduate says. “The work I have on display at the Ellarslie museum is in chalk pastel, which is one of my favorite mediums as I am able to layer the color and shadows.”
The Ellarslie Open is the museum’s annual juried show that attracts several hundred submissions. This year’s juror was Walter Wickiser, owner and director of Walter Wickiser Gallery in New York City.
Pietsch had two paintings accepted in the pastel category with her portrait of Betsy Ross garnering the Best in Show – Pastel award.
The artist whose work reflects a love of animals and the natural world says, “I have been artistically talented my whole life, ever since I was very young. So I’ve always wanted to focus my career on the arts.
“When I was a kid I would draw cartoon characters I would see on TV and redraw my favorite pictures from storybooks. I remember when I was in second grade an illustrator visited my school during an assembly, and that’s when I first realized that I could be an artist as a career path. That illustrator was Denise Brunkus, who is well known for the Junie B. Jones line of storybooks.
“When I was in high school, I won awards for my artwork, including the NJ Teen Media Award from the Department of Human Services, as well as the MLK Scholastic National Poster Contest.”
Getting parental support at a young age was crucial for Pietsch to pursue her path in the arts. “My parents and grandparents are not artists, but they have always encouraged me to pursue my creative work. My mother used to be an early childhood educator, so she knew how important it was to have children get hands-on experience with arts and crafts at a young age. My younger siblings, Ellen and Erik, are also artistically talented.”
While studying at Moore in Philadelphia, Pietsch loved having the studio space and the support of the other art students and teachers. But she also sought out feedback from the non-artist community. “Sometimes a different point of view can help, too. Non-artists look at things differently.”
In addition to studio instruction, Moore also made Pietsch look back at those who had come before her. “I am a big fan of art history, so I’m influenced by classical western artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio in their use of composition and dramatic lighting. I am also influenced by classic American children’s book illustrators such as Garth Williams, Howard Pyle, and Charles Santore. I admire their captivating artwork and how they use anthropomorphism in storytelling.”
Pietsch finds subject matter from her surroundings and her own life, such as the Betsy Ross portrait inspiration coming after a visit to the Betsy Ross Museum in Old City, Philadelphia. She also finds inspiration in strong women. “I liked the connection between Betsy Ross and how sewing a piece of textile maybe united a nation.
“I choose subject matter that I find visually compelling and that I feel draws inspiration. I use my artwork as a way to bring focus to the subject matter. I get inspiration from observing the world around me. I’ve done portraits of people as well as animals. During my senior show in college, I focused my thesis on pet portraiture. I want to use my artwork to bring awareness and make the world a better place. There is so much going on in this world. If my artwork makes someone feel happy and brightens their day, then I’ve accomplished my goal.”
Speaking about female influences Pietsch mentions comic books, Japanese anime, and manga. “These helped get me into art. The Japanese stories have many more female protagonists, unlike Marvel and DC comics where the women superheroes just seem to piggyback on the male characters.
“I am a big fan of Japanese animation and graphic novels geared towards a female audience. ‘Sailor Moon’ and ‘Fruits Basket’ are a couple of my favorite titles which also have an impact on me and my artwork. Other titles I recommend are ‘The Rose of Versailles,’ ‘Revolutionary Girl Utena,’ ‘Tokyo Mew Mew,’ and (director Hayao) Miyazaki films. I like the well-developed characters and stories. Anime and manga have historically had more female as well as queer protagonists, so the story flows more naturally.”
Pietsch says she also learned at Moore, a historically female-only college, that women’s voices are traditionally under-represented — that it is harder for women artists to succeed and that women are more likely to underprice their work.
“As we see in the major museums, mostly male artists and the nude models are mainly women. Anime is one area in the arts currently where the female-to-male character ratio is more even.”
Prior to being accepted into the Ellarslie Open exhibition and garnering an award, Pietsch was a volunteer at the museum. The idea of volunteering at a venue close to her Ewing home was suggested by a professor. Pietsch then approached exhibits coordinator Carolyn Stetson and, as a volunteer and intern, received, hung, and labeled work for the 2018 Ellarslie Open.
The following year she, along with Stetson, co-curated the “Airing Out the Attic” exhibit and was involved in researching the museum’s collection, its artists, and their backstories.
About her involvement with Ellarslie, Pietsch says, “My favorite things are the people that I’ve met volunteering, giving back to the community, as well as the variety of work that is involved. I have recently been helping with the Family Engagement Program at Ellarslie during Saturday mornings in July of this year. I would give a tour of the museum as well as help the children with arts and crafts. I’ve done a lot at the Ellarslie museum as a volunteer, including arranging cases, hanging artwork, and helping out with events.
“I’ve also interned and volunteered with other arts organizations in the past including Alfa Art Gallery in New Brunswick, In Liquid Art + Design in Philadelphia, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia during their First Sunday family events, and Artworks in Trenton during their Art All Night events.”
Pietsch says, “When I was accepted to the Ellarslie Open, I had no idea about the Best Pastel award until the awards ceremony. I honestly had no idea that I would get this far. I know how hard it is to get in the show since I started being a volunteer. It depends on the juror and it takes patience. I’m excited that both of the pieces I submitted for the show this year got accepted, and that I also won an award. I received the Cedar Run Wildlife Award for Best in Show for Pastel for my rendering of ‘Betsy Ross.’ Both of my artworks, ‘The Three Musketeers’ and ‘Betsy Ross,’ will be on display at Ellarslie through October 2.”
Working in an arts-related field is good for now, says Pietsch, but she keeps on working on her art with an eye on future opportunities.
“I enjoy my job as a graphic designer/ graphic artist even though I’m new, since it’s still a creative profession relating to the degree that I have. I work creating product packaging for different items sold in stores. One of the brands is a pet brand called Pounce + Fetch, which I’m interested in given my experience with pet artwork. I have to measure and format the type and artwork for each item, and the variety of items keeps things interesting. The main thing I want to convey is that although I am enjoying my current position, I am still open to new opportunities should they come my way.”
Ellarslie Open, Trenton City Museum, Cadwalader Park, Trenton. On view through October 2. Open Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m., Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Free. 609-989-3632 or www.ellarslie.org.
For more on Alexandra Pietsch, visit www.alexandrapietsch.net.
Ewing-based artist Alexandra Pietsch won 'Best in Pastel' at the Ellarslie Open for her image of Betsy Ross.,
