130Art22-CoverFINAL_NoUPC-2.jpg

Emerging Artist: Alyssa Ruggieri

Cape Cod Art  /  ART Annual 2022 /

Writer: Christina Galt

Emerging Artist: Alyssa Ruggieri

130Art22-CoverFINAL_NoUPC-2.jpg

Cape Cod Art  /  ART Annual 2022 /

Writer: Christina Galt


Shell Friends I • Mixed Media • 5″ x 7″

For Centerville native Alyssa Ruggieri, her journey to becoming ALR Designs started back in 2018 when she went to pull out her acrylic set, only to find her paints had all dried out. Instead of buying more, Ruggieri reached for her watercolors–a medium she had seldom taken use of until that point. “I immediately fell in love with it,” she explains, “so I started to take some online classes and it sort of blossomed from there.”

Fast-forward to today, Ruggieri works exclusively with watercolor. If you take a look at her Instagram profile, @alr.designs, you’ll find vast variety when it comes to her subject matter. “I decided a while ago that I would paint anything that made me happy or inspired me,” she shares. “For some reason, that is just everything.” From landscapes to sharks, if it sparks creativity, she’s in. “I usually draw inspiration from my friends’ photographs,” says Ruggieri. “That really started after a friend had allowed me to use their photo to paint. I tend to work from reference photos to get an idea of what I want, and then remix it in my head.”

Salty Blue Whales • Watercolor • 11″ x 14″
“Living on the Cape–like a lot of us–I find myself drawn to the ocean,” she shares. “My favorite thing of all is going to the beach at sunrise. The overall feeling and look of the beach at that time of the day is wonderful and where I draw a lot of inspiration from for my color palette.” When asked about her style,...

Want to read this article and more?

Subscribe today to our Digital Edition to gain full access to this article plus every issue of LIFE or HOME for only $9.95.

Christina Galt

Christina Galt is the Digital Editor at Cape Cod Life Publications. Born and raised on the Cape, Christina has always had a love for the ocean and everything "Cape Cod." She found herself the perfect home away from home at the University of Rhode Island and double majored in Sociology and Gender & Women’s Studies. After graduating, Christina came back to the Cape and started her journey at Cape Cod Life. She spends most of her free time with her family, especially her chocolate lab Sadie, and enjoys spending summers on her family’s boat.