St. Augustine-based artist Jenna Alexander is set to celebrate the unveiling of her newest series, “Stripes and Buns,” at her studio next week.
The series’ opening will take place from 6:00 to 10:00 PM on December 6 at Gray 1908, the historic house at 73 San Marco Avenue that’s home to Jenna Alexander Studios.
For this new oil panting series, Alexander sought to capture strong women of the First Coast.
“It started when I asked women in the community to come to my studio in their favorite striped shirt and bun on top of their head,” says Alexander. “I love when people can connect over something as simple as a fashion trend or hairstyle and, clearly, others agreed. It took only 45 minutes to fill every time slot, and I photographed over 200 women and girls.”
Out of over 200 photos, Alexander then chose 30 to transform into paintings.
As part of the new exhibit, Alexander has also put together a coffee table book for the series.
“When each woman or girl came to my studio, I had them write in their own words the answer to the question: What do you think it means to be a good woman?” Alexander explains. “I took the paintings, photography, handwritten words, and gouache illustrations and put together a book that I hope will instill strength in future generations of strong women.”
The book is available for pre-order on her website for $65, and it will also be made available during the opening.
