Alexis White creates digital illustrations of brightly colored ‘junk food’ pop art. She states: “I like to see kids light up over ice cream stickers or donuts! They get so excited! I like it even more when adults see their favorite popsicle or childhood treat, and you can see on their face that they are reliving those happy childhood memories and their inner child comes out. Treats are simple things that connect almost everyone and it’s inspiring. It is nice to see the joy in others and our commonalities.” These concepts are incorporated into other 2D and 3D work. She has completed murals in Southern California and in the Tri-Cities area where she grew up.

How would you describe your art to someone who has never seen it?

I make junk food art! All the junk food delights you can imagine and indulge in — calorie free (wink wink). 

Can you share a little about your process?

I have a list going of all the sweets, treats, and salty junk food things I want to draw, and I pick three every month to draw for my Stickers of the Month Club! At ArtWalks, people will often tell me, “Oh, you should draw this, or that!” and I will add it to my list. So many people told me to draw a pickle, so I finally did! Typically, I start out with a reference photo and go from there. When I am out and about or traveling, I try and snap lots of food pics for reference images later. 

Has art always been an integral part of your life? 

Yes, I have always been interested in creative avenues. I received my first easel when I was very young and played with that thing all the time. It was a little Fisher Price chalk easel and I loved it. Then I moved onto the highlighters and pens when I would go visit my mom at her office, and I would draw little things for her and all her coworkers. 

Who is your favorite artist? Why?

I have a few! There is this artist @tenhun, Peter, that I have been following for the last few years and I just think he is a very inspiring artist. He shares so many tips and tricks with his community and has developed a relationship with so many of them. He has grown tremendously over the years and has become someone I really look up to. (Check him out on YouTube: @TenHundred.)

Andrea Ehrhardt is another artist I look up to. She’s just a boss. She developed her skills and started painting murals professionally at a pretty young age. She shares all her tips, tricks, skills, and business and financial advice. She loves to teach and genuinely wants other artists to grow alongside her. She is the person I heard say “community over competition” [by] which she means share with your fellow artists, help them grow and we grow collectively. I think every artist should embrace this idea. There is enough room for all of us. (Check out her podcast The Artist Academy Podcast.)

Other more well-known artists I really love are Jean Michelle Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama, Jasper Johns, everyone from the Dada movement (because I just think it’s hilarious and ironic), and so many others I am forgetting. 

Do you have any rituals or routines that help you get into a creative space?

Not intentionally. However, I do notice that most of the time that I want to draw, I also am sitting on the couch with my two doggos and my husband. That is my happy place where I can draw happy little things. (lol) 

Or if I am working on something larger, headphones and good jams are essential. I also always make better work if I can sing and dance at the same time.

Truthfully, my art is really just a form of escapism. I have had a colorful life and art is more of my happy place than anything else. It is way more fulfilling to me to make art that makes people smile. 

 What inspires you?

People probably inspire me the most. It’s adorable when kids get excited at my booth (because it’s all fun colors, junk food, and rainbows), but I like it even more when ADULTS get excited about it. I love seeing people's faces when they see their favorite childhood popsicle and they are transported back to some happy childhood memory. Many of them end up sharing their related stories with me. Such as, “Me and my brother used to run to the gas station after school and get these big sticks (mango cherry pops)!” Or, “Rocket pops! Those are a throwback. I used to get these all the time as a kid!”

What do you do when you are blocked or feeling unmotivated creatively?

I usually just start doing something anyway, even if I’m ‘not feeling it’. Most of the time, once you are in it, motivation will come. So, just stop fighting it and get into it. 

What would you say to an artist just starting out?

Be okay with the business side of it. It is okay to make money as an artist and not be a sellout. Get on board with social media… I know most of us hate it, but it is a good place for people to view your work. Figure out who your target audience is and figure out how you can share your work with them. I would also say to develop your skills, always, and every day. A professor once told me to “make art a part of your everyday life.” If you want to be a professional artist, listen to artists’ podcasts who are already where you want to be and learn from them. Read their books, go to their shows, buy their art, join their memberships and groups. Subscribe to art magazines and learn about your next moves before you make them. Take a marketing class or a business finance class. Spend time doing the research and learning the skills to succeed. And follow through with what you say you are going to do. 

What are your favorite places in the Tri to go to get inspired?

Probably ice cream shops, coffee shops, the Uptown in Richland, or downtown Kennewick.

 Where should people go to see public art locally?

[Visit] the Esvelt Gallery at CBC, attend the ArtWalks, go to the Uptown and walk the mural alley, or head down to Downtown Kennewick. Bristle Art Gallery in Downtown Kennewick, the Gallery at the Park — many other places.

How can the community better support the arts?

Come out to the ArtWalks and shop local! If you have birthdays coming up, consider getting gifts from local artists and makers! If you have a blank wall, consider hiring an artist to paint a mural, or if you have a retail space or restaurant, hire a muralist or have a local section in your shop!

Side note: I would love to see a mural fest in Tri-Cities!

People can find me @alexisnikoleart on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and at alexisnikoleart.com

Tri-Cities Cable Bridge Mural: Take Me to the River

This mural of mine is located at 1166 Columbia Park Trail, Richland, WA 99352. Stop by and take a selfie and tag @alexisnikoleart and @columbiarivercottage.

Upcoming events for me:

• I will be working on a Mural with Heidi Elkington in the beginning of March. It is a “Welcome to Tri-Cities” concept that will be on the backside of Christensen King PC CPA & Financial Advisors in the Uptown on the Jadwin side. Heidi and I collaborated on the idea for this project; however, the concept art was created by Heidi. Heidi can be found on Instagram @heidielkington.
• I will be back at the Richland ArtWalks when they start back up in April 2024.
• No other pop-ups planned at this time. However, my online shop is always open!

I also recently joined FAIRE, where retailers can order merch at wholesale prices.

Ashleigh Rogers is an artist, art instructor, and facilitator in Tri-Cities, Washington. Her work explores the themes of connection and intergenerational stories through experimentation in painting, photography, installation, and sculpture. Ashleigh is passionately dedicated to facilitating accessible arts programming in her community.

Find her on Facebook: fb.com/AshleighRogersArt or Instagram: ashleigh.a.rogers