Dalin Alejandrino | Artist Profile

What were some of your early creative influences? How do these continue to inform your painting practice today?

Some of my early creative influences were the Impressionist movement of Monet and the ethereal seascapes of Turner. I’ve always been drawn to subtle brush-marks and the way they capture light in a moody, soft manner. I suppose those early influences remained with me from high school art class and continue to inform my practice today. My work sometimes shifts between capturing light through translucent underlayers and using thick and quick brushwork.

How did you develop your approach to painting? Are there themes, ideas, styles or techniques you often return to in your work?

My creative process is quite fluid and open, often taking the form of free-flowing movements and whimsical brushwork, interlaced with a translucent interplay between acrylic and oil mediums. It’s all about soft and gentle movements in the studio – not forced, but emerging organically onto the canvas. It might start with a blurred memory of a moment in time, or a feeling within my body and subconscious.

Becoming a mother for the second time has reshaped how I create. There’s an energetic shift – a kind of intuitive surge – that has led me to explore abstraction more freely, with layers of brushwork and media reflecting both chaos and calm.

What was the starting point for your new series and how did the work evolve through the painting process?

Reflecting on the theme of Quiet Tide, I want the viewer to consider their own relationship with time and the precious moments we hold dear. As I turn a page into a new chapter in my personal life, I draw on memories from recent travels to the English countryside, and recall a warm summer in Puglia, Italy, with my husband and two little ones. Watching the sunlight glisten and dance on the surface of the creek – a scene so tranquil – I wanted to capture those quieter moments of stillness. A gratitude moment during my walk on the beach in Salento allowed me to observe the water flowing and surrender to the universe.

I didn’t intend to paint bodies of water or a place, but they appear subtly – the environment and emotion are deeply tied for me. There’s something in the act of layering that feels like uncovering both. What evolved in my Quiet Tide works is full of softness and gentle sweeping movements reflected back in time.

How does the series build on your previous work or point to a new direction?

The series builds on my previous Interlaced, New Dimensions and Introspection bodies of work. There’s more of a quiet restraint in this series, and the works have evolved to capture light and memory. As I continue to explore my creative practice – working instinctively, and having conversations with both nature and the act of nurturing – I don’t try to control the outcome. The energy reveals itself, much like motherhood or memory: always evolving, but grounded in trust.

Could you tell us about some of your favourite works from the series?

Some of my favourite works from the series capture movement and light in different ways but share a blush or warm undertone. Perhaps this is me trying to capture the warm glow of sunsets again. I’m drawn to the feel of certain materials – acrylics for their immediacy, oil sticks for their weight, and flow medium for its translucency. Together, they let me respond to the moment without overthinking, and the results can be seen in transparent washes juxtaposed with opaque brushwork.

Is there a narrative running through this collection of works?

I think the narrative of time and our relationship with time runs through this collection. The emotive and calming colour of blue is certainly prominent too – it’s my favourite colour. I’ve really enjoyed reflecting on the calming energy of blue and letting go of control. It’s like taking a walk on the beach or listening to the sounds of a running creek and suddenly finding clarity.