A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T
Fantasy A LIFE OF
Alyse Stewart details a work in progress in her Manteo studio.
For one young artist, a passion for mythical worlds is providing some amazing real-world opportunities. P HOTO S BY RYAN M O S ER / S TO RY BY L EX I H OL IA N
At
18 years old, Manteo local Alyse Stewart already feels as though she’s been an artist all her life – but it wasn’t always clear to her what she would do with her craft. Her impressive, award-winning artwork leans toward realism, and for a while, she thought comics might be her calling. But then she saw the character art depicted in fantasy games like Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering. “You see a person and think that’s almost a photograph,” she says. “But it’s actually a person from another world. It’s got a realistic quality mixed with the fantastic elements.” The recent high school grad creates using oil paints, watercolors, digital mediums and charcoal and has been recognized locally and nationally for her compelling artwork. She’s had a talent for drawing from a young age, and her style was partially born of her fascination with board games, books and movies such as Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and films by Guillermo del Toro. Two of her favorite games are Dungeons & Dragons, a fantasy tabletop role-playing game, and Magic: The Gathering, a trading card game in which players cast spells and summon creatures depicted on the cards. In both games, character art is at the heart of the experience. Magic is a must-play in the Stewart household, and after spending some time with the cards, Alyse began researching the artists behind the characters. She was immediately captivated by the work of artists such as Ryan Pancoast, Scott Fischer and Matthew Stewart.
“That was it,” she says. “I was like, that’s what I want to do.” Each piece begins with researching the subject and gathering references. Alyse has an abundance of history books, art books from masters like Rembrandt and Salvador Dali, and books on topics such as the artistic process behind the characters for the band Gorillaz. “If it’s supposed to be a dark piece, maybe I’ll watch Pan’s Labyrinth or something that’s got an edge to it,” she says. “Or I’ll read some Clive Barker, or look at paintings from H.R. Giger to get into the right headspace and have that visual library in my brain. It’s all so that when I do the piece, I have the correct lens.” As the daughter of the artist/owners of Silver Bonsai Gallery in Manteo, art has long been a constant in Alyse’s life. “Growing up, it’s just what I saw,” she explains. “My parents making art in their own way and being surrounded by it daily.” She began studying art seriously in the seventh or eighth grade when she started taking anatomy and drawing classes. A quick painting today may seem effortless, but every work of art has years of experience behind it. She encourages anyone who is intimidated by art to take time to hone their skills, even if they think they don’t have talent at first. “I was blessed with a gift, that I could draw from an early age,” she says. “But where I am right now isn’t all about talent. Talent gives you a head start, but it’s really the work you put in behind it.” Beyond artwork, Alyse has a passion for music, having played the piano and cello for many years. Art is her form of creative expression, but it’s also her job, so music continued on page 12
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