#ArtInTheHammer: InspiredButHellaTired
Hamiltonian visual artist Alyssa Mallone’s style is immediately recognizable, specializing in spooky, gothic, sexy, and DIY punk rock fashion. Ranging from acrylic paintings, to accessories, to customized clothing and household decor - Mallone works within a wide range of mediums, heavily inspired by the eclectic and disturbing.
Mallone can be spotted selling her creations at James Street’s monthly Art Crawl series, creating under the moniker InspiredButHellaTired.
PICTURED: ALYSSA MALONE
“I’ve been living in Hamilton for five years now,” Mallone told CFMU. “I grew up just 45 minutes away in Vaughan, and decided to move to The Hammer for its amazing art scene!”
Mallone describes her style as “ever-changing”, as she refuses to be sorted into a category.
“I paint what I feel, I paint what surrounds me,” said Mallone. “I love to explore different ways of expressing what's going on in my brain by pursuing as many different mediums as I can get my hands on.”
Art has been a strong passion for Mallone since she was a child, she began by recreating Disney animations from old VHS tapes.
“I would then show my mum and she would stick it on the fridge proudly!” said Mallone. “She’s very creative herself and has always been my biggest supporter. It wasn't until choosing colleges when I finally thought to myself, “Maybe I could do this as a career,” and that's when I started to take my craft more seriously.”
“Knowing that my art can make anyone's day, let alone be recognizable, is a goal I constantly strive for.”
The first piece Mallone ever sold was a high school project she submitted for a local Thanksgiving fair art competition.
“That was a big highlight for me because I realized, "Wow! Maybe I can actually do this?"” said Mallone. “I opened my Etsy shop two years ago, but didnt post anything on it because I was a tad nervous. But last winter I finally put myself out there and successfully launched my Etsy shop. My business is giving me a chance to make money from what I love doing, and that in itself is very successful to me. Social media has helped me out immensely by getting my art out there to new customers as well, so that also has been very beneficial for me.”
PICTURED: ARTWORK BY InspiredButHellaTired
Mallone attended her first Art Crawl three years ago, and immediately fell in love with the experience. She’s sold quite a few pieces since then, and looks forward to the event every month.
“This year was a milestone for me because quite a handful of people stopped at my booth to tell me that they already followed me on instagram and really loved my work,” said Mallone. “Knowing that my art can make anyone's day, let alone be recognizable, is a goal I constantly strive for.”
PICTURED: ARTWORK BY InspiredButHellaTired
The artist’s style has changed quite a bit since she first started, primarily in the realm of risk taking - she’s built the confidence to take on larger paintings, and work in different styles to keep her creative motivation flowing.
“The artist I was in the past wouldn't even recognize my work now, and I find that really beautiful,” said Mallone. “I see myself in the future flourishing more than I am right now. To be happy with choosing my passion as my career and forever pushing myself to be as creative as possible. I can't wait to find out who I am as an artist within the next five years, it's so exciting.”
You can keep up with InspiredButHellaTired’s work by following her Etsy account, as well as her Instagram page.
“I'm hoping to be part of a gallery space soon and connect with more local artists,” said Mallone. “I post works-in-progress daily on social media, as well as completed pieces, so keep your eyes open!”