Alaiyo Bradshaw

My artwork takes a passionate view of a social conscience that incorporates drawing and painting through visual journalism. In my work, I reconstruct dreams, children's stories, cultural iconography, ethnography and social issues. I bring my training as an illustrator and graphic designer into my work as a fine artist. I think of my paintings as single frame narratives--windows into the subject. My artwork is linked by repeated formal concerns as well as through its conceptual content. Each personal project consists of multiple works grouped around specific themes and iconography. I use watercolor as a medium to create depth, translucency, and opacity.

In my conception, my art means bringing images to life through representational depictions reflecting a visual language that I speak. My imaginative ideation took me to my current nest series.

My professional illustration and graphic design work are in the areas of editorial, children’s books, advertising, publishing, flyers, brochures, websites, props for plays, professional magazines, newspapers, merchandising, young readers anthologies, posters, book jackets, storyboards, murals, commercial product lines and more.

My clients include: Amsterdam News, Actors Theater Workshop, The Advocate Magazine, Brian Bellinger Films, The College Board, Circe Ediciones, S.A., The Guide New Era Publication, Harcourt Brace, Heinle & Heinle, The Jewish Theatre of NY, McGraw Hill, Metropolitan Junior Baseball League, Inc., PSE&G, 20/20, The New York Times Magazine, Ward’s Communication and more.

I have exhibited at the OPUS Gallery in Mount Kisco, NY, The Society of Illustrators, The Hudson Guild, Fire Patrol No. 5, Limner Gallery, National Museum of Catholic Art, 80 Washington Square East, Ward-Nasse, A.I.R. Gallery in New York City and several other galleries in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

I am a professor at Parsons where I have taught classes in Art History, Illustration, Digital Design, and Drawing.


Portfolio:

Alaiyo's Gallery

Watercolor images

Oscar “Oscar”

Watercolor painting. Pet portrait commission.

Dixie Land Jazz “Dixie Land Jazz”

Watercolor painting depiction Jelly Roll Norton and Sweet Emma Brown in front of Preservation Hall

Mid Summer “Mid Summer”

Watercolor painting. First in a series of three entitled Mid Summer Nights Dream

Nights “Nights”

Watercolor painting. Second in a series of three entitled Mid Summer Nights Dream

Dream “Dream”

Watercolor painting. Third in a series of three entitled Mid Summer Nights Dream

Emancipation Tree “Emancipation Tree”

Historical tree on the campus of Hampton Institute

Hummingbird “Hummingbird”

Watercolor painting

It's Our Day “It's Our Day”

Watercolor painting. Promotional piece

Jeff Beck “Jeff Beck”

Watercolor painting. Jeff Beck and his collection of cars.

Keep out “Keep out”

Watercolor painting.

Seeing Double “Seeing Double”

Watercolor painting