Abstract mixed media painter Alexys Henry, born in Arizona, grew up in Phoenix and Upstate New York. It was in these polar opposite locations where she discovered a fascination with nature, color and process. Henry grew up in a home where creativity was always encouraged and experimentation with materials was allowed. She started drawing when she felt that her vocabulary could not compare to the immediacy of visual communication. (Paradoxically, the nature of her current abstract art allows the viewer strong participation in the subject of her work, as color related to emotion is largely based in viewer interpretation.)

She studied art in high school which offered life drawing classes, painting, sculpting, and art history before she moved on to literature, editing and journalism in college. Henry turned to painting full time when illustrating and mural side gigs started winning out over her day job.

Currently a resident of Hillsboro, Oregon with studios at home and in the North East, Henry strives to transform natural colors and outdoor experiences into large vivid and dreamlike abstract architecture, landscapes, and organic shapes. Each painting is comprised of layers of acrylic paint, paper, and other organic materials like dirt or coffee grounds. The layers are altered many times after they’re dry by scraping, sanding, and scrubbing to reveal hidden worlds otherwise covered by paint.

Henry’s paintings have been in the background of movies like, Twilight and numerous television shows. She has participated in group shows in Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Arizona, New York, Texas, and Portland.