Alana O’Hern, a native Australian, studied graphic design at Perth Technical College. The daughter of a school principal, she moved every two years during her childhood. During these years, two things were consistent for her: her family and her love for drawing. She was also influenced by her grandmother, a landscape artist, and absorbed through her a love for art and sense of color. Yet she shied away from paint for years, instead refining her talent for drawing.
By the time she decided to branch out into painting, she was accustomed to creating very detailed work and approached her new medium with the same commitment to fine lines and detail. The results were realistic, but she found the process uninspired. Then came the day she picked up a palette knife, the tool her grandmother had so expertly used to create landscapes. Alana was immediately liberated and relished the freedom the knife allowed.
Alana’s current work reflects that freedom in her bold use of strokes, paint and color. Pop-influenced yet grounded in her ability to capture images, her oil paintings are striking portraits that reflect the beauty, imperfections and peculiarities that make her subjects unique.
In addition to her grandmother, Alana counts among her influences artists Romero Britto, Sebastian Kruger and Lucien Freud and, most especially, her young daughters Riley and Halle. Accompanying her golfer husband on the PGA Tour, Alana continues to indulge her love for travel and draws inspiration from the places she visits and the people she meets.
“There is obviously a lot of hardship throughout the world, but I truly believe people use color to lift their spirits.”
– Alana O’Hern
To request a commission or for general enquires, please send an email to: alana@byalana.com