How local artist Alicia Jungwirth stays inspired

“Alice” in the photo on the left, “Getting Ready” in the photo on the right.

Perhaps the best form of art is that which inspires others to create. Enter Alicia Jungwirth, an artist from the Chippewa Falls area. Jungwirth’s artistic style, self-described as “vintage pop”, allows him to create unique pieces and continue to grow as an artist.

Vintage pop is a blend of two artistic styles that inspire his illustrations, Jungwirth explained. With a 60s and 70s color palette, minimal shapes and texture, she is able to create her colorful lines and fashion-focused images.

About four years ago, Jungwirth began finding his style through a popular creative app, Procreate. “It was a learning curve for the first year,” she said. She previously worked with watercolors, which can be an unforgiving and difficult medium to control. Procreate allows digital painting and artwork. Jungwirth said she spent a lot of time reading the Procreate manual and watching video tutorials, until one day it finally clicked.

Alicia Jungwirth.

During the week, Jungwirth works at a local post office. Although art is not her primary job, the end goal is to become a full-time artist.

Jungwirth finds inspiration from other artists she admires and those she meets by chance, as well as from her physical surroundings. She said much of her inspiration came from walks on the Chippewa River trails. Usually it is seeing something like a frog or a little ladybug that sparks something within it, bringing to life the possibility of a new creation.

“I should probably have a (defined) creative process,” Jungwirth said. However, much of his work relies on the impulsiveness of the idea that comes to mind. His sketches can help produce something, but Jungwirth said his projects are mostly based on the instinct to get started. This was another advantage of working with a digital platform: no eraser due to this impulsiveness.

“For beginners, go for it,” she says. “No one will be good at first; you just have to keep trying.

There are challenges, visible and invisible, to being an artist. For Jungwirth, she feels a bit of imposter syndrome. “I can definitely be a bit of a sissy and get my own way,” she said. Being comfortable in your home tucked away in a Midwestern city can actually make it difficult to form real connections, she said. Living in a small town can sometimes feel isolated, but luckily there are plenty of artists in the Chippewa Valley.

Jungwirth is currently working on making his pieces more organic through techniques such as making his markings more realistic with pencil lines or paint strokes. She said she wants people to question whether her works are made in a digital or physical medium because of how realistic they are.

“I try to make my work convey some kind of emotion, whether it’s drawing a certain look in the eyes or in the mouth,” Jungwirth explained. She hopes people remember a feeling or connection when they see her artwork.

Check out some of Jungwirth’s work for yourself on his website. You might recognize her style if you picked up the February 22, 2024 issue of Volume One, which had her article “Ladybirds” on the cover.