About the Artist

Whimsy Spot was created by Alexa Shoemaker Brooks in 2010. She started her artistic career in high school in printmaking and bookbinding. She graduated with a degree in Drama from Washington University in St. Louis and subsequently moved to Los Angeles to pursue theater and film. After moving up to Northern California, she turned her artistic focus to wildlife paper art. Alexa lives in Atlanta, GA; she lives there with her husband, two kids, and the perfect dog Beckett.

About the Work

The animal kingdom is as mysterious and magical to me as anything. I grew up among the redwoods of California where there were constant encounters with blue jays, raccoons, deer, rabbits, and even the occasional coyote and wild boar. As an underwater photographer, my sister provided me a constant aquatic backdrop with her light-filled images of sharks, manta rays, nudibranchs, whales, and all kinds of tropical fish.
 
My background in printmaking and bookbinding introduced me to the world of decorative and handmade papers. I find that the variety of colors, textures, patterns, and origins of paper lends itself uniquely to representing nature’s palette. My work attempts to capture the singular qualities of wildlife using a combination of whimsical humor and delicately layered paper.

This is how my work begins - with an exacto knife and some paper! This is a "snippet" of a custom commission of a common loon. Once the piece is finished, I will scan, edit, and create cards and art prints from the image.

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