Welcome to the Disco Babe: A Look Inside the Magical World of Artist Alicia Hobbs

Every once in a while something catches you completely off guard and throws your senses into a total overload! Such was the case as I was wandering around the endless seas of artist displays at Art Basel, the once a year international artist expo that happens each December in Miami. As I turned the corner and started walking up the next long corridor of artist displays, I suddenly froze as my eyes gazed forward and caught eyes with the most majestically soft and unique color-paletted Mona Lisa I had ever seen. As I stood in the middle of the aisle way and unwittingly impeded the bustling flow of foot traffic (certainly annoying all who were trying to pass), my mind went into an overload that only other creatives would understand. It was as if a symphony had all of a sudden just started belting out a loud rendition of "Largo al Factotum" from the Barbers of Seville in my brain.

It took a few long moments, but I finally started to ease out of my euphoric fog and focus in more intently on each of the faces that were gazing out at me from their neatly hung canvases. "What beautiful paintings!" I thought to myself. Such rich and unique colors blended harmoniously! Such life-like and almost aloof, flirty energy! I really couldn't believe what I was seeing. And just as I was about to pull my attention away and walk further down the corridor, I made another delightful discovery. Subtly nestled in and around each of the painted portrait personas like tiny hidden Easter eggs, were little riddles, phrases, and words that were reminiscent of a yet-to-be-solved Sherlock Holmes mystery. But, as I would soon find out, these little tiny clues inside these breathtaking paintings weren't part of some turn of the century British mystery plot… They were the gateway into the magical world and mind of artist Alicia Hobbs.

As I wandered further into the art display booth, my eyes were drawn into those of Frida Kahlo... looking as if she was annoyed that I was more than fashionably late to the party. "Been at the rodeo?" she asked. (In my defense... no one is ever on time in Miami)

Suddenly, my conversation with Frida was interrupted by a gentle sounding sweet voice with the most subtle southern belle drawl. "Do you like her?" The voice asked. As I turned to my right to acknowledge the questioning voice, my mind was blown yet again. "Wow! That dress is amazing!" I blurted out almost uncontrollably. I had just met the artistic genius behind all of the wonderful works that had stopped me dead in my tracks a few moments earlier... adorned in the most grandiose full length, flowy pleated, vintage Gucci gown nonetheless. For some reason, the dress looked extremely familiar. Then it hit me! It was the exact same dress that each of the leading ladies in her paintings were wearing. How incredible and creative! To say that I instantly lost all interest in walking through the rest of the art show would be an understatement. But I had to learn more about this wonderful artist.

Alicia Hobbs's art is an intoxicating blend of realism and abstract expressionism. It's this fusion between the two genres that sets her apart in the contemporary art scene. Her unique play with light, color, and texture breathes fresh new life into classic subjects, such as Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the many likenesses of Andy Warhol and Frida Kahlo, and my favorite… Johannes Vermeer's "The Girl with a Pearl Earring." Her pale pastel color palette blends beautifully with her meticulous detailing of the subject's face and likeness. It is as if the Masters themselves had come back to life and borrowed Hobbs' palette and reengineered their own paintings. Each piece that she creates is a visual masterpiece that's truly hard to forget.

Hobbs wasn't always certain that art would be her life's path. Hailing from Gulfport, Mississippi, she once envisioned a life in medicine, having attained a biology degree with medical school on the horizon. But somewhere between the hallways of the University of Mississippi, where she also juggled art classes with studying for her biology degree... and her current Beverly Hills art studio... Hobbs found her true calling.

From an early age, she displayed a talent and knack for the arts… something her loving grandmother, whom she fondly called "Nannie", took notice of. Not only did her grandmother become her most ardent supporter, but she also became Hobbs biggest inspiration. Every single art piece that Hobbs created… whether a crayon drawing from her young hand… or a full canvas painting… was met with encouragement and love.

Once in college, Hobbs' artistry took an unexpected turn. Although she mainly painted for fun and often would just give her paintings away, her works started catching the eyes of fellow students... especially her sorority sisters. Her dorm room walls became an impromptu gallery, with paintings quickly finding new homes, sometimes faster than she could create them.

Feeling irresistibly pulled towards her passion for creating, Hobbs eventually set aside her medical dreams and began to focus more seriously on her art. Taking a job as a nanny to pay the bills, she launched an Instagram account for her artwork, which would be a move that quickly catapulted her forward. As she laughingly recalled as I spoke with her. The very idea of people wanting to buy her art was, and still is, surreal to her.

In no time at all her popularity began to grow... so much so that she had to quit her nannying job to focus on being an artist full time. Her inaugural collection of 30 paintings sold out in less than 24 hours, leaving her grappling with a deluge of commission requests. The more that she posted new works of art on her Instagram page, the more her client list swelled. Definitely not a bad problem to have across the vast world of starving artists. But just as Hobbs' career was exploding exponentially, so too was Covid 19 across the country and world. Between the global Covid pandemic and hurricanes smashing into the Mississippi coastline, her upcoming debut art show had to be cancelled multiple times. Facing all of this uncertainty, and the lease on her current apartment about to expire, Hobbs decided to load up her car and head west towards a brand new start in the city of angels in 2020. After a little bit of searching, she found the perfect space and opened her studio in Beverly Hills which she shares with her canine companion Ms. Ritzy Roodles.

Hobbs' creative process is beyond original and unique. Utilizing both oil and acrylic mediums, she begins her painting process with a quick draft of the subject. She then builds more broader shapes and fills them using a triadic color palette consisting of one white and two contrasting hues. Hobbs then uses a technique where reflective light is portrayed around the subject that ultimately brings the painting to life. She often lets incidental brush marks remain untouched on her canvas, believing they lend a certain depth and dynamism to her still-life compositions.

Hobbs believes that the hallmark of her artwork is its whimsical style. She loves to use surprising and unlikely color pairings mixed with pronounced brushwork and deliberate textures to present a slightly off-kilter take on conventionally classic themes. And all one has to do is allow themselves to get lost in one of her wonderful creations for a few moments to see that she accomplishes this quite masterfully.

Alicia Hobbs has truly morphed into one of the most talented and sought after young creators in the art world today. Her pieces have sold all over the world and she is a regularly invited exhibitor at the most prestigious art festivals in the country... showcasing in places like New York, The Hamptons, and in Miami at Art Basel. She is not only a talented artist, but she is truly a genuine sweet soul with all of the charm and kindness you would expect from a Mississippi southern gal.

And as for her future? One thing became crystal clear to me as I said goodbye and slowly made my way out of Alicia's booth (while security turned out the lights and ushered the last remaining stragglers out of the expo center as they closed down for the night). No matter how far she has already come on this amazing and magical journey, Alicia Hobbs is just getting started. AM